Bait
by Raven524
Summary: An old enemy returns and one of the boys becomes bait for the trap. WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS – story is set some time post Devil’s Trap and may refer to things that happened anytime during the first Season.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Summary:** An old enemy returns and one of the boys becomes bait for the trap. WARNING POSSIBLE SPOILERS – story is set some time post Devil's Trap and may refer to things that happened anytime during the first Season.

Raven524: Since I am still receiving encouraging reviews, I guess I'll continue on. Thanks again to all who have reviewed my previous stories. While I may refer back to some of them, you should be able to follow without having read the others. That being said…hope you enjoy the newest flight of fancy!

**Bait**

**Chapter 1 – The Bet**

Dean slammed the door as he got out of the Impala. He didn't wait to see if Sammy would be following him…there were just some things that were tough to forgive and Sam had done the unforgivable in Dean's eyes. He entered the bar and ordered a beer as he tried to cool down. He knew it was an accident…but jeez, how many times had he told his brother to wake him when he felt tired.

Sam walked into the bar slowly, his hands in his pockets and his head down. He felt like he hadn't slept in weeks. Lately, he had been having one nightmare after another. Of course, with the life he lived…a few bad nights were to be expected…but every night, he kept reliving the worst moments of his life. He looked over at his brother who was doing his best to ignore him. Sam knew that Dean would get over it…but right now, he wished that his brother wasn't angry with him…he hated it when Dean closed him out. It made Sam feel more alone than he already was.

Dean looked at the dejected form that had entered the bar. He almost relented, but damn it, he had a right to get angry with Sam once in a while. Lately, he had been trying to be patient…holding in his anger over the things that bothered him. But tonight…that had been the last straw. He was tired of dealing with Sam's moods. Just once he wished that Sam would relax and have some fun. Speaking of fun…Dean smiled as the pretty waitress brought him another beer.

Sam walked over to Dean's table and sat down quietly, not meeting his brother's gaze. He jumped when the waitress came over to take his order. After ordering a beer, he continued to gaze at the water marks on the table in front of him.

Dean tried to ignore Sam, but he couldn't miss the defeated slope of the boy's shoulders. He knew that Sam wasn't sleeping well these days. If Sam didn't loosen up and have some fun soon, he was afraid his brother would crack under the pressure. Sighing Dean finished his beer and cleared his throat "Look Sammy…I know it was an accident…but you have to be more careful. This time you just dented the car…next time you and I could find ourselves at the bottom of a ditch!"

Sam wouldn't look at Dean but replied with his usual response "I'm sorry Dean…I won't let it happen again."

"So help me Sammy…you have to find a way to relax man…you're driving yourself and more importantly, _me_ crazy. You haven't even looked at a girl since Sarah and that was months ago…I bet you don't remember how to get hooked up…I mean, if I hadn't forced the issue…would you have even asked Sarah out?"

Sam looked up at Dean and seeing the smug look on his face couldn't take it anymore. "Look Dean, I'm not having this conversation any more…I am perfectly capable of getting a date _if I want one_…I don't need big brother's help…why is this so important to you?"

"Sammy…I just think that if you allowed yourself to have a little fun…did something to take your mind off of our work…you wouldn't be having all these nightmares."

"So your prescription for nightmares is to hook up? Thank you Dr. Ruth! Dean, it may surprise you but the answer to everything isn't a one night stand!"

"You know what your problem is Sammy…you think too much. See that young lady over there at the end of the bar…I bet that you couldn't get her to go out with you. I bet you can't go one night without thinking about how crappy life has been to you…well guess what, you do have a choice here…you could go over and ask her out…take a chance…see where it goes. But no, you would rather sit here alone, brooding."

Dean and Sam had been cooped up together for weeks. Dean wasn't letting his little brother out of his sight these days for any length of time and Sam was getting tired of being fussed over. In fact, Sam was just plain tired…tired of the headaches, the visions, the nightmares…he hadn't meant to hit the guard rail. Besides, it was just a small dent; Sam had woken up in time to prevent any major damage.

"As if you would let me out of your sight for more than 2 minutes! Fine…you want to bet…then let's do it…I will go over and invite her out for dinner. If she goes with me, you pay for the damage to the car!" Sam looked at Dean, daring him to take him up on the bet.

"You've got it little brother, but if you don't…you not only have to pay to have the dent fixed, but you also have to wash and wax her for the next month…after all you owe her that much for falling asleep at the wheel!" Dean smiled…if he knew it was this easy to get Sam going, he would have done this months ago. While Dean was a little nervous about Sam going off with a stranger, he couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He had been keeping a close eye on Sam, between the visions and his other freaky powers, Dean worried about him constantly…but he needed a break as much as Sam did.

Sam downed the beer in front of him and walked over to the bar. He could feel Dean smirking behind him. Damn him…this was really stupid! The girl was sitting with a beer in front of her. She had long brown hair and shapely long legs. Sam guessed that when she stood, she might be almost as tall as him. "Hello, my name is Sam…can I buy you a drink?

The woman jumped as Sam spoke, looking at him with startled brown eyes, she slowly smiled. "Sure…I'm Sheila."

Dean watched as the two continued to talk for a few moments. Sam stood and helped the girl down from her seat. As he exited the bar, he glanced back at his brother with a grin on his face. Dean just laughed and started to look for some fun of his own.

**ooooooooo**

Sheila had suggested a diner just down the street from the bar, which was good, because Sam didn't want to ask Dean for the keys to the car just yet. Sam and Sheila walked to the diner in a comfortable silence. As they found a booth near the back, Sam finally tried to break the silence. "So…do you live around here?" _God…how lame was that for an opening line!_

Sheila smiled, she could tell that the young man was just as nervous as she was. "Ummm…yeah, I have a place close by here...are you just passing through or will you be staying for awhile?"

Sam hated that question…it was one of the many reasons that he avoided the whole dating scene. Sam sighed "Yeah, we are just passing through…we may be here for a couple of days, but in my line of work, I travel a lot."

"So what do you do for a living Sam?"

_Oh good, this was getting even better!_ How do you tell someone that you just met and have already told that you are not interested in a long relationship that you _'pop ghosts'_ for a living as Cassie called it. Sam looked out the window…Dean would have had a ready answer…but Sam hated lying…hated the pretense.

"Welll…um…I'm sort of a private investigator" Sam groaned inwardly…_great line_.

"So, what do people do around here for fun?" Sam asked, trying to get to a safer topic.

Sheila smiled at the tense young man sitting across from her. She usually didn't pick up strangers from the bar, but there was something about Sam that screamed '_safe_'. "Sam, look…I'm not really looking for anything long term here…I just got out of a kind of scary relationship and well…I just want to have a nice dinner and maybe go for a little dancing later…ok?"

Sam smiled and nodded as he motioned the waitress to take their orders. A short time later, they left the diner to walk back to the bar. Sam had to admit, he was feeling more normal than he had in a long time…but he sure wasn't going to admit to Dean that he had been right…he would never hear the end of it!

As they rounded a corner, Sam became immediately alert…something wasn't right. He placed his arm protectively around Sheila and began to walk a little faster towards the bar and Dean. Suddenly a large van came roaring towards them. Three men jumped out and headed towards Sam. Sam shoved Sheila towards the bar "Run Sheila…get help!"

Sam turned towards the attackers, ready to fight. One of the men had grabbed Sheila before she could get too far and began dragging her towards the van. Sam lunged, trying to help her. As he came close to the other two men, he felt himself thrown down with a force that no human could have done…"Oh God, these were something else!" Sam groaned as he felt himself being lifted and pulled into the van with Sheila. "Dean…Dean…help!" Sam yelled as he struggled to get free. But the men were too strong…as Sam was quickly overpowered.

The van pulled quickly away from the corner as a young woman emerged from the shadows. An evil smile on her lips as she calmly walked over to the black Impala parked out front of the bar. She placed a single white envelope under the windshield wiper…"_At last, the trap is baited!"_

TBC

Raven524: Ok, here is the newest one…let me know what you think…like it, hate it…want more? Just R&R!


	2. Chapter 2 History Repeated

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 2 – History Repeated**

Dean was enjoying himself for the first time in weeks. He felt a pang of guilt, but quickly shoved it away as he continued his conversation with the lovely blonde that had joined him. The way he looked at it, both he and Sam deserved a break. It would be worth the cost of repairing the Impala if Sam had a good time for once.

After a couple of hours though, Dean felt himself looking at the door to the bar, expecting Sam to walk through. When the bartender called for last round, Dean decided to go check outside…an eerie feeling of déjà vu assaulted him as he quickened his steps...he was beginning to feel the same panic that he had felt when Sam was kidnapped by Pa Bender and his kin.

The feeling intensified as he walked out to an empty street with no sign of Sam. He quickly walked down to the diner, figuring that would be the most likely place his brother would have gone. He spoke to the waitress and learned that Sam and his date had left over an hour before. Dean walked out and tried to retrace his brother's steps. In full hunter mode, Dean scanned the streets for any sign of his brother. _"Man, Sammy…if you are out getting lucky…so help me!"_

Suddenly Dean stopped and slapped his head. Reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Sam's number. "Come on Sammy…answer damn it!" After he received his brother's voicemail, Dean was now into full worry mode. Sam always had his phone with him. Dean decided he needed to widen the search. Walking back to the bar, he stopped in and spoke to the bartender. He found out the name and address of the girl who had left with Sam. Luckily she was well known locally. After thanking the bartender, Dean headed back to the car.

He frowned at the white envelope that was stuck under the windshield wiper. Opening the envelope, Dean opened the single sheet of paper; his breath frozen in his chest as he read

"_**Where is Sam?"**_

Dean's hand shook as he looked around trying to find the owner of the note. He quickly got into the car and headed to the girl's apartment. _"God…when are we ever going to get a break?"_ thought Dean as he picked the old lock on the door and entered the apartment.

He was shocked to see the condition of the apartment. It looked like a wild animal had attached the room. The seat cushions from the sofa were shredded and there was debris all over the living area…Dean didn't like the rage that he read in the destruction of the room…and somehow his brother had walked into the middle of it!

**ooooooooo**

Sam groaned as he was once more thrown against the wall of the moving van. His hands and feet were tightly bound, a dirty gag had been placed in his mouth before a hood was placed over his head. The hood made it difficult to breathe as Sam tried to concentrate on remaining conscious. He needed to wait for his chance and then he had to get himself and Sheila out of this mess.

Sam could hear the whimpers of the terrified girl. He wished he could offer her some kind of comfort. Blaming himself for allowing her to be taken, Sam could feel the anger towards the men responsible building.

Time seemed to drag on forever as the van continued on its journey. Sheila had stopped whimpering and Sam guessed that she had finally fallen asleep or unconscious. Sam had been working on loosening the ropes that bound his wrists. He had been flexing and contracting his muscles for what seemed like hours, feeling the rope burning into his flesh. His arms ached, in fact his whole body ached from being tightly bound and left to roll around in the back of the van.

Sam closed his eyes briefly: picturing his brother's face. He knew that by now Dean would be on the hunt for him. He knew that Dean would be frantic, but Sam also knew that Dean would find him…he always found him. Dean could be a pain sometimes, especially when he was in mother hen mode…but Sam understood Dean's fear. It was the same fear that haunted Sam in his dreams…the fear that one of them would be killed and the other would not be able to get there in time.

**ooooooooo**

Dean sat in his car, not sure where to go or what to do. He pulled his jacket closer as his body started to feel the cold winter wind that had been blowing all day. He gazed at the distant mountains and let the despair claim him. His mind knew that he could not be with Sam every minute of every day…but his heart still felt like he had failed his little brother yet again. _Why did he have to lose the people he loved?_ Dean asked himself, but the wind did not answer.

Starting up the car, Dean decided to check in to a local motel and start digging into the mystery that had brought him and Sam to this town. There had been a number of people who had turned up missing over the past few months…too many, to just be coincidence. Dean couldn't shake the feeling that whatever or whoever had taken Sam had something to do with the other disappearances.

After unloading the car, Dean began surfing the net to see what he could find on the missing people as well as the young woman that had left with Sam. He shook his head as he chewed nervously on the end of his pen…_Sam will never date again if this keeps up…the poor kid never gets a break_. Dean accepted the risks as part of the job…and in their job, people sometimes got hurt. It wasn't fair, but that was how it was. But Sam always shouldered the guilt, always feeling like he should have done more.

Dean sighed as he got up to get another cup of coffee. Looking at his watch, he saw that there might still be time to drop by the local police department and see if he could get a look at some of the police files…maybe there would be an answer there. Grabbing his keys and his coat, Dean walked out to the car only to find another white envelope under his windshield wiper. Looking around once again, Dean could not see anyone nearby.

Dean once more opened the envelope to see what the contents revealed. Once again, a single piece of paper was enclosed...

"**You will never find him…he will suffer and you can't save him"**

What the hell was that supposed to mean! Dean slammed his fist onto the steering wheel. Taking a deep breath, he started the car. To hell with them…they didn't know Dean Winchester…he was going to get the police records and figure out what was going on. Then he was going to find the bastards and kill them.

**ooooooooo**

The van finally lurched to a stop. Sam could hear voices outside the van as he tried to prepare himself. He heard the van door open and rough hands reached in to drag him out. He was dropped onto the cold hard ground. A few moments later he heard Sheila's distressed whimpers once more as she too was removed from the van. Sam struggled, but the ropes were still too tight.

"Well, well, well…who do we have here?" A female voice asked as Sam felt a vicious kick to his side. "Take our guest to his new home…make him comfortable. I have to see to something in town and when Ireturn…the fun can begin!"

Sam felt himself being dragged along the ground. A door opened and he was shoved down some stairs…once at the bottom, his captors finally pulled off the hood. They shoved him down onto the floor and left, laughing. Sam blinked, trying to get his eyes focused in the gloom. From what he could see, it looked like he was in some kind of root cellar. Shivering from the cold, he rubbed his face against the floor, removing the gag. His mouth felt dry, but at least he could now breathe easier. Once again he began working at the ropes that bound him.

A few moments later the door opened again and another man came down with Sheila slung over his shoulder. He rubbed his hands up and down on her body in a suggestive manner. "So, you didn't want to stay with me…after I promised you eternal life…well bitch, after I have had my fun with you, you'll beg me to let you die."

"Leave her alone you bastard!" Sam said as he leveled his hate filled eyes on the man.

The man dropped Sheila onto the floor and yanked her hood off. He smiled as he saw the terrified eyes of the girl…but then turned to Sam. "So, you thought you could take my place…you thought you were man enough to take my girlfriend from me…let's just see how good you are big man!"

Sam felt himself jerked upright and spun around. The ropes on his hands and feet were quickly released. Sam almost fell as the circulation had not fully returned to his tightly bound limbs. Keeping his eyes on the man in the room, Sam took a defensive pose between the stranger and Sheila.

The stranger's attack was swift as he lunged at Sam. Sam managed to duck and land a blow to the man's middle. His attacker spun around and grabbing Sam, slammed him into the wall. He then punched Sam in the stomach with such force, Sam doubled over in pain. "Unfortunately, the pleasure of killing you is not mine…but Kate didn't say anything about keeping you pretty!"

Sam felt his head snap back as a blow hit him in the face. _"Aw shit…I knew we should have finished the job!"_ Sam thought as he fell into blackness.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3 Sins of the Father

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 3 – Sins of the Father**

Dean had spent the last couple of hours reviewing the files on the missing persons in the area. There had been over 15 people who had come up missing over the past couple of months. As far as Dean could tell, there was nothing to link them. However, he had found an interesting report that had been filed by Sheila Wilcox. She had filed assault charges against her boyfriend, Stephen Connors. The description of the assault was brutal…almost animalistic in nature. Sheila claimed he not only beat her, but also bit her in a number of places. Looking at the police photos taken of her injuries, Dean felt sorry for the girl. She had been pretty badly beaten and had a number of bite marks, which did not look human.

"_Jeez Sammy, why can't you find nice normal girls?"_ Dean thought as he returned to the hotel. He hadn't slept or ate since Sam had been taken. He was beginning to feel the affects as he rubbed his tired eyes. But he couldn't sleep, not until he had found his brother. He still wasn't sure what he was up against. The bite marks led him to believe that he was definitely dealing with something supernatural…hopefully; his Dad's journal would shed more light on the type of being that had taken Sammy.

Thinking about his father, Dean winced. How was he going to tell him that he lost Sam? If he didn't turn something up soon, he would have to place a call to let his father know what was going on. It was a call he was not looking forward to making, but he knew that his father would be more pissed if he didn't let him know what was going on. Dean knew that his father would be disappointed in him again and wasn't sure that he could face that disappointment right now.

Entering the motel, he decided to take a quick shower and then get back to work. As he passed the mirror in the bathroom, he noticed that the face looking back at him had a haunted look. Letting the hot water stream over his body, he felt his muscles relax and finally let the tears of frustration run down his face to mix with the water from the shower. _Damn it! Why did it always have to be Sam that suffered…what had he done to deserve this?_

As Dean left the shower and began to get dressed, he paused as he heard a sound from the other room…throwing open the door he ran…his phone was ringing!

**ooooooooo**

Consciousness returned slowly to Sam. His body was stiff from cold and ached from the abuse it had received from the vampire. He slowly sat up and noticed that Sheila was looking at him with concerned eyes. She was still tied and gagged. Sam stood up on unsteady legs and went to her to help.

"I'm sorry that I got you into this Sheila…I never should have gotten you involved" Sam said softly as he rubbed the girls chaffed wrists.

"What do you mean Sam? It was my ex-boyfriend that hurt you…I thought he was gone…I thought I was safe…What kind of monster is he?" Sheila's eyes were full of tears as she began to try to rub some warmth into her cold body. Sam took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders.

"So that was the scary relationship that you just got out of? Who is that jerk?" Sam asked as he went to examine the door.

"It's a long story….when we first met, he was kind and gentle. But then a few months ago, he disappeared for a week. I was frantic with worry and had reported him missing with the police. But they couldn't find him. Then one day, he showed up on my doorstep. I was thrilled to see him back, but he wouldn't tell me where he had been. When he found out I had filed a police report, he got angry. He…well, let's just say it wasn't pretty….I still have the scars from that night." Sheila shuddered as she remembered how close she had come to dying.

"Let me guess, he bit you?" Sam asked quietly as he watched the fear appear in her eyes.

"How did you know?"

Sam placed a comforting hand on Sheila's shoulder. "I wish I didn't have to tell you this…but you need to understand what we are up against. My brother and I, well...we investigate things that hurt people…things that most people don't know about or prefer to pretend don't exist. Your boyfriend has become a vampire Sheila…he was probably converted during the week that he had gone missing."

"Vampires don't exist…they are only make believe!" Sheila backed away from Sam slightly.

"No, they do exist as do many other supernatural things. Look, you said his personality changed, that he bit you…he has shown super human strength. I know it sounds far fetched…but believe me, we are dealing with vampires here." Sam shook his head as he tried to figure out a way to get them out of the cellar. The door was heavy and too solid to break down. There were no windows or any other means of escape visible…unless…Sam reached into his coat pocket and almost laughed…his cell phone!

Sam quickly pulled up Dean's number and dialed, praying that he would get reception. After the third ring, he almost hung up when he heard his brother's voice "Sammy…Sammy is that you?"

"Yeah Dude…I'm sorry, I guess I messed up again!" Sam said; glad to hear his brother's voice.

"Where are you Sammy?"

"I don't know Dean, they drove us in a van for at least a couple of hours, it felt like we were climbing…maybe the mountains? I'm trapped in some kind of root cellar, but I can't see outside. Dean…it's Kate…I think we are being held in a vampire nest!"

"Ok Sammy…are you hurt?"

"Not too bad…just the usual bumps and bruises…you have to be careful, she has grown her pack to include some of the locals including Sheila's ex-boyfri….."

Sam jumped as the door flew open, three of the vampires entered followed by Kate. "Sorry to interrupt the family chat, but I'm going to have to take that from you!"

"What do you want Kate?" Sam asked, as he fought thevampires that had grabbed him. Kate looked at the phone and smiled as she heard Dean frantically calling for Sam on the other end.

"Not much Sam…just to watch you and your family suffer…suffer the same way I suffered after your father killed Luther! You hear me Dean…your father took someone from me and now I will take his son in exchange…who knows, maybe I will turn him or maybe…" Kate gave a nod to thevampires that held Sam. Before Sam could react, he was slammed to the ground and the vampires were on top of him. Sam screamed as he felt the fangs enter his skin.

Kate listened to the phone for a moment and then smiled as she disconnected the call. "Enjoy your dinner boys!" She said as she walked from the room. "I'll be back for desert!"

**ooooooooo**

Dean heard Sammy scream on the other end of the phone. "Sammy!" Dean yelled into the phone. "Damn you, I'm going to kill you…you bitch, let him go!"

The only answer Dean received was the sound of the phone being disconnected. _"Oh God, Sammy!"_ Dean felt sick; he remembered the condition of the people he had released from the vampires nest a few months ago. The images of the torn flesh kept flashing through his mind. He had to find Sam and fast.

Dean picked up his cell phone again and placed the call he had been dreading…but now he knew he had no choice. He was going to need back up to get Sam back. The phone rang on the other end, Dean sighed hoping he would not get voice mail. After a couple of rings, he heard the familiar voice on the other end "Hello Dad? We have a problem…remember the vampires we let go in Manning…well they are back and they have Sammy!"

TBC

Raven524: Wow, thanks for all the reviews on the first chapter! Sorry for the delay, but once again the site wouldn't let me update yesterday. So, you get a bonus today…two chapters. I love to hear from everyone so keep the reviews coming!


	4. Chapter 4 Dinner is Served

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 4 – Dinner is Served**

John Winchester frowned as he hung up the phone. Damn it, if he hadn't been so focused on getting the demon, he would have made sure that all of the vampires were dead. Now his youngest son was going to suffer for his mistake. Once again he found himself thinking about his decisions where it concerned his boys. He was doing the best that he could, making sure they could take care of themselves and trying to get rid of the main threat to his youngest son. Most people thought he did what he did out of revenge…and at first, maybe it was so. But in reality, he was just trying to keep his boys alive as long as he could in a world that he knew was set against them.

Sighing, he packed his clothes and started heading for his truck. This time, he was going to make sure every one of those sons of bitches was dead!

**ooooooooo**

Dean started making plans the minute he hung up the phone. He had to do something…he couldn't just sit. If he stopped, he would hear his brother's screams and he couldn't deal with that right now. He pulled out the phone book and looked for the location of the local mortuary. Looking at his watch, he had a couple of hours before he could pay them a visit. He needed to get a supply of dead man's blood.

In the meantime, he pulled out a map of the area and drew a circle that represented the distance that could be driven within 2 hours from their current location. Then eliminating the area's that were not in the mountains, he had the beginning of a search grid. He knew that the vampires generally liked remote locations and the fact that Sam had mentioned a root cellar, probably meant it was a farm of some type, rather than a house. By the time Dean had finished, he had narrowed down the grid to a manageable size.

Tonight he would get the dead man's blood and get their weapons ready. First thing tomorrow morning he would go to check out the properties in the area…beginning with a search on any property owned by Stephen…maybe if he could find Stephen, he would lead them to Sam. Dean's father said he would be in by noon tomorrow. He wanted to have everything ready by then so that they could begin the hunt. _"Hold on Sammy, we're coming!"_ Dean sighed as he got ready for his evening appointment with the dead.

**ooooooooo**

Sam was shivering from the cold as he lay on the hard floor. His shirt was shredded as the vampires feasted, leaving him with nothing to protect him from the cold. Unfortunately, he had remained conscious throughout the ordeal, feeling them literally sucking his life's blood from his body. He knew that he was weakened by the loss of blood and the pain of the wounds on his chest and shoulder. He hoped that Dean would find him soon as he wasn't sure he would survive many more feedings.

Sam carefully rolled over and tried to stand. He could see Sheila huddled in the opposite corner, a glazed look on her face. She was showing all the signs of someone who was going into shock. Sam gently touched her shoulder "Sheila? Heh…it will be ok…I promise, my brother will find us soon and get us out of here."

Sheila shuddered as she felt the hand touch her shoulder. She closed her eyes, trying to block out what she had seen. "I thought they were just make believe…God, Sam…what they did…we have to get out of here!"

Sam could here the panic in her voice. He moved to sit beside her, pulling her into his chest and laying his arm over her shoulders. "Look Sheila, I'm sorry this is happening…maybe if I hadn't asked you out" Sam looked away, the guilt of another innocent life added to the already too heavy load he carried.

"Sam, it wasn't your fault…Stephen would have eventually found me…we both were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever happens, remember I don't blame you" Sheila took a closer look at Sam and was shocked at his appearance. His face was pale with dark circles under his eyes. His left eye was swelling shut and his jaw was turning a nasty shade of purple. The wounds left by the vampires were open and raw looking…blood was still seeping from the wounds. He had a fine sheen of sweat on his face, as if he might have the beginnings of a fever and yet she could see him shivering with cold.

"Sam, let me take a look at your wounds…we have to try to staunch the bleeding" Sheila removed Sam's coat from her shoulders and placed it back over Sam, hoping to keep out some of the chill.

"I'm fine…but you're right…we need to try to figure out a way to get out of here" Sam tried to stand once again, but his legs wouldn't support his weight.

"I mean it Sam, just sit there while I try to get those wounds cleaned out." Sheila stood and grabbing the remains of Sam's shirt, tore off a couple of large pieces. She found a case of water stored under one of the shelves in the cellar. Grabbing a couple of bottles, she returned to Sam's side. "Now hold still, while I clean these out!"

"Yes mother!" Sam said with a grin as he remembered his brother issuing a similar command on more than one occasion.

Sheila hit him lightly on his good arm as she started to clean the nasty looking wounds. She heard Sam hiss as she worked, she remembered the pain from when Stephen had bit her…she paused and looked up at Sam with somber eyes. "Ummmm…Sam…since we have both been bitten…ah…how long before we become…become one of them?"

Sam reached over and gently held her face in his hand. "It's not like that Sheila. You can only be converted if you ingest the blood of a vampire…it's not like what you see on TV…you and I will not turn into one of them."

Sheila was quiet as she looked into Sam's dark brown eyes. She saw strength and determination…she continued her work in silence. After she finished she gave Sam one of the bottles of water and opened one for herself. "Sam?"

"Yes, Sheila"

"Do me a favor…if I become like them…promise me you'll kill me…I would rather die than turn into one of those monsters!" Sheila's eyes were full of tears as she looked at Sam. "Promise me, please!"

Sam looked at Sheila and nodded with a sigh "I promise."

**ooooooooo**

Kate was looking forward to tonight's festivities. She had thought briefly about turning Sam, after all he was pretty good to look at and she bet he was even better as a lover. But she had her sights set higher…she knew the more he suffered, the more pain she would cause John and Dean. "I know that you said nothing would come of revenge Luther, but without you…I just don't care any more…I will avenge you!"

She had spent the last 4 months rebuilding her pack. She now had a total of six vampires to help her attain her goal. As she looked at the four men and two women, she was sure that she would succeed with her plan.

"Kate, can I talk to you for a minute?" Stephen asked as he came into the room.

"Sure baby…what do you want?"

"Well, I was hoping that we could turn Sheila…I've always loved her and I just can't imagine going on without her. When she wasn't at her apartment, I thought I had lost her…to find her again with your target…well, it's just meant to be!"

Kate had been a little angry when they had grabbed the girl with Sam. Even though she wanted revenge on the Winchesters, she did not want the whole town looking for them. It was bad enough she escaped the first time and reported the attack to the police.

"She's been nothing but trouble to us Stephen" Kate was going to refuse when she had a new thought…maybe she could use her to further torment John's youngest. He seemed to have grown attached to the girl. "But, I think we might be able to give you what you want and allow the boy to suffer...we will do it tomorrow night."

Looking at the other Vampires in the room, Kate motioned for two of the other men to come forward. "I want you to go and get the boy…just the boy. Make sure you watch him close…I think it's time for desert!"

TBC

Raven524: Anyone for a little Sammy ala mode (sorry, it's late and I'm running on too much caffeine). I loved all the reviews…please keep them coming!


	5. Chapter 5 Show Time

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Warning:** This chapter will contain a short scene of nonconsensual sex (not too graphic though)…so if you are bothered by that kind of thing…you may want to skip this chapter.

**Bait**

**Chapter 5 – Show Time**

Sam woke with a start when he heard the heavy door opening. He blinked, trying to focus his good eye…he felt Sheila still sleeping beside him, her head on his lap. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep. Shaking Sheila gently, Sam groaned as he stiffly rose to meet his attackers.

"Sam…what?" Shelia started to ask, but gasped as she saw the two vampires entering the room with a length of thick rope.

"Stay behind me Sheila" Sam said quietly as he positioned himself between the vampires and the frightened young girl.

"Come on big boy…Kate is ready to play!" One of the vampires advanced on Sam. "Hold out your hands in front of you."

Sam launched himself at the vampire, temporarily knocking him to the ground. He then kicked out at the other vampire, hitting him squarely in the chest. "Sheila…run!" yelled Sam as he continued to wrestle with the two vampires.

Sheila paused for a moment, but decided to follow Sam's order. She raced for the stairs and disappeared into the night. Sam smiled as he continued to battle with the two vampires, giving almost as good as he was getting. He made a break for the stairway, but was grabbed by one of the vampires from behind. The vampire had him in a choke hold and was squeezing until Sam saw black spots in front of his eyes.

He continued to struggle weakly, but felt the other one tying his hands with the rope. As the choke hold was released, Sam fell to his knees, trying to get air back into his starving lungs. _"Well, at least Sheila got away"_ Sam thought as he felt the vampire tug him to his feet and lead him up the stairs.

Sam got his first good look at his surroundings as he came up out of the root cellar. He was definitely in the mountains and apparently on some kind of farm. He was being dragged towards the old barn. On the side of the barn, Sam could just make out a faded advertisement for Camel Cigarettes. The farm house stood on the other side of the yard. There was a corral that at one time must have held horses and he could see a large pasture beyond leading up to the forest that surrounded the property. Filing the information away in case he could somehow get hold of Dean again, Sam continued to stumble towards the barn.

As Sam entered the barn, he was greeted by his worst nightmare. He struggled again as he was dragged towards a chain that was hanging from the rafters. At the end of the chain was a large hook. He watched as Stephen lowered the chain from the rafter and helped to place Sam's bound hands over the hook. Sam groaned as he felt himself raised so that his feet barely touched the floor.

"I hope you had nice nap big boy, cause you're going to need it!" Stephen said with glee.

Sam just glared at the vampire, hoping that by keeping them distracted, Sheila would have more time to make her escape. "Bring it on…you guys are really big shots with a guy who is tied…why don't you untie me and then we'll see who is better!"

Sam groaned as Stephen landed a punch to his unprotected kidneys. "Is that all you can do? Why my grandma could punch harder!" Sam didn't know how much longer he could keep this up, his body was already bruised from the fight with the other two vampires. He wondered briefly why they hadn't said anything about Sheila…he risked a quick look at them and saw the fear in their eyes…they were afraid of Stephen!

"Boys…boys…simmer down, we need him to last a while tonight. It wouldn't do if he passed out before the main event!" Kate sneered as she walked over to stand in front of Sam.

"Besides, we want to make sure that his daddy gets a real good look at his baby boy before we kill him!"

Sam looked over to see one of the vampires holding a camcorder. "You're sick you know that…what do you think that is going to do?"

"Your daddy took Luther from me and now I am going to take something from him…something that he treasures just as much as I did my mate"

Sam laughed "Well, then you got the wrong boy…my father hates my guts…the last time he left, he told me he never wanted to see me again. Besides, he isn't here so how will he see it?" Sam hoped that she bought his bluff.

"Sorry baby, but I'm sure that your father will be here shortly, if he isn't already. You're brother will be calling in reinforcements to save you…I saw how close your family was that night…so don't bother wasting my time with denials." Kate moved closer to Sam and ran her hands down his chest, fingering the wounds that were left from the previous attack. Sam shivered with revulsion.

"You know, I told your brother that I like to make new friends…and I meant it. How about you and I get a little more friendly?" Kate smiled as she grabbed his jaw and began to kiss him. Sam felt himself gagging as he tried to back away from the vampire. Kate just smiled as she reached down to undo his belt…before Sam knew it, he was hanging with just his briefs on. He closed his eyes, trying to distance himself from what he knew was going to happen…ashamed that his body was responding to her touch. He could hear the others in the room laughing as he felt himself lowered to the ground, held in place by the other vampires, Sam was helpless to prevent Kate from finishing what she had started.

It seemed like forever, but Sam felt himself being hoisted back up onto the hook. Determined not to show how badly he had been affected, he forced himself to glare into the evil eyes of the vampire. "Huh…so that was what you call sex! Now I know why you are an endangered species!" Sam said with venom.

"I don't know Sam…I have to admit that felt pretty good…its been along time for me…maybe I should change my mind about killing you and just convert you to one of us!" Kate laughed at the horrified look that crossed Sam's face.

"Ah, but then I did promise that you would be dessert…and I just can't bring myself to disappoint the others!" Before Sam could react, he was once again surrounded by vampires, including Kate. He tried not to scream as he felt the bites, but the pain was too intense. For the first time in his life, he prayed for darkness…but it never came.

**ooooooooo**

Dean had parked the impala in front of the bar. He entered the bar and took a table in the back near the rear exit. After placing his order, he looked around the bar to see if anyone was paying any attention to him. Satisfied, that he was not being watched; Dean went out the rear door exit and headed for the mortuary.

Luckily this place was not as secure as the last one he had to visit. He quickly placed the bags of blood into his jacket pocket and returned to the bar. It had only been 30 minutes and apparently no one had noticed his absence. He finished his beer and paid the tab, smiling at the pretty waitress from the other night as he returned to his car. He still had a couple of hours before dawn, maybe he would try to get some sleep…his mind was starting to feel fuzzy after going almost two days without sleep.

Once again, he found an envelope tucked under the windshield wiper blade. "Jeez…haven't you guys ever heard of the US Postal Service?" Dean called into the night. He was glad that he had parked his car in front of the bar…he knew that the car was pretty conspicuous. He figured that whoever was leaving the messages, was just driving through the small town, looking for his car. He shrugged, if they had wanted him, they probably would have taken him by now. Climbing into the car, he decided to wait until he got back to the hotel to read whatever message they had left this time.

Dean checked the room before he closed the door to make sure that he didn't have any uninvited guests. He took a few moments to grab the ice bucket and fill it with one of the bags of blood he had taken from the mortuary. He then placed the knives that he had brought in earlier into the blood, letting them soak. He wasn't sure if enough of the blood would remain on the knife to do any good, but at least it was something. He would work on the other weapons later.

Sitting on the corner of the bed, Dean ripped open the envelope. This time instead of a written message, he saw a CD wrapped carefully in the paper. Going over to the computer, he slipped the disc into the drive and hit play. As he watched the screen, his eyes filled with tears and a sob escaped his lips_. "Oh my God, Sammy…I'm so sorry…I never should have let you out of my sight!"_

TBC

Raven524: I hope this chapter wasn't too disgusting, but felt it was important to the story…remember, to let me know what you think…all you have to do is send a review!


	6. Chapter 6 The Great Escape

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 6 – The Great Escape**

After the images on the screen faded, Dean made a dash for the bathroom. He emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet until all that was left to him was dry heaves. The tears continued to flow down his face as he kept replaying the images over and over in his mind. He kept seeing the fear, revulsion and pain that had been reflected in his brother's expressive eyes. A few times he could have sworn that Sam looked directly at the camera, begging with his eyes for help…help that Dean couldn't provide.

Dean staggered to his feet, running a shaky hand through his hair. He stopped at the sink and rinsed his mouth out. He almost didn't recognize the face that stared back at him…the pale skin and haunted green eyes…God, Sam had looked bad…what if he couldn't get there in time?

Dean shook his head refusing to even go there in his thoughts. He walked by the computer, and for the first time in his life, he felt repulsed by it. It contained the images of Sam's torture in vivid detail. Dean gagged again, but refused to give in to the impulse to return to the bathroom. He had to finish preparing…he would get the information on all the properties in the search grid…once his father got here, he wanted to be ready to leave.

**ooooooooo**

Sam groaned as the sun hit his face through the gaps in the slats of the old barn. He felt so cold, his teeth chattered. Between hanging in the freezing barn all night and the loss of blood, Sam couldn't control his shivering. Looking down at his body, he saw the fresh bite wounds and bruises from last night's festivities. The vampires had left him while it was still dark outside. He must have finally passed out.

He could feel the hook with his cold hands. If he could just get enough strength to work his way off the hook…after a few moments, Sam almost cried from frustration. He needed to get away…one more night of feeding and he was sure that would be it. Sam decided to try once more…slowly moving his hands along the hook, trying to get the rope to slide over. Just as he was about to give up again…he felt himself drop to the ground.

The impact with the ground almost knocked the wind from his body. He felt so weak…he wasn't sure he could stand. Then he remembered Dean…Dean wouldn't give up and neither would he. He pushed himself to his feet and looked around the barn for some type of weapon. He smiled when he saw the perfect thing leaning against the wall in the corner. It was a machete_…"things are looking up!"_ Sam smiled as he looked outside. He knew that the vampires would sleep during the day…he decided to chance a quick look in the house to see if there was anything he could use to contact his brother.

Too bad the van was no longer in sight…Sam could have used a vehicle to escape. Grabbing his jeans and his shoes, Sam quickly dressed and headed for the house. Looking in the window, he saw his cell phone laying on the coffee table in the living room. He slowly opened the front door, cringing from the noise. He paused but didn't hear any movement. He quietly crossed the room and grabbed the phone.

Exiting the house, Sam decided to get as far away from it as he could. He headed into the woods, hoping he could get far enough away during the daylight. He shivered in the cold morning air, wishing he had stopped to get a jacket or something. But he was afraid if he stayed too long, one of them would wake up. Stopping for a moment, he pulled out his cell phone…he still had about 15 minutes of air time…but unfortunately, he wasn't getting any reception from where he was at the moment. Putting the phone back in his pocket…he continued down the mountain…he hoped he could find some help before the vampires woke up.

**ooooooooo**

Dean had spent a good hour gathering information on all the vacant properties within the search area. He groaned as he looked at the list. There were at least 20 properties that fit what he was looking for. Leaning his head against the steering wheel, he tried to quell the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. At least during the day, Sammy would get at break. They had to find him before tonight!

Looking at his watch, he decided to stop at the diner for a quick breakfast. He wasn't hungry…but he knew he had to keep his strength up for Sam's sake. _"God, how had this gotten so screwed up…it was just an innocent bet" _Dean thought for the thousandth time that day.

Dean stared out of the window of the diner. He let his thoughts wander back to images of Sam. First he saw Sam as a child, full of innocence and wonder. He saw Sam as he returned from his first hunt, excited and proud. Then he saw the final image of Sam, hanging from a rafter, wounded and broken.

Dean started when a figure slid into the booth opposite him. "Hi son" the tired voice of his father greeted him.

"Dad…How did you get here so fast?"

"You think you're the only one to break the sound barrier when you drive…where did you think you got it from?" John didn't like the naked vulnerability he had seen in his oldest son's eyes. Dean normally hid his emotions behind a shield of bravado that not many, except Sam, could get behind. If Dean was showing his emotions…things couldn't be good.

"Any word yet son?"

Dean told his father about the first two notes. He hesitated before telling his father about the disc he had received from the vampires. He wasn't sure how Sammy would react if his father saw it…hell he still didn't know how to react to the images of his brother's torment.

John noticed the hesitation from his oldest son. "Dean, what else did they send?" This time his tone was an order, something Dean normally responded to without question.

Dean suddenly lost his appetite. Pulling out money from his wallet, he rose from the booth and paid the bill. He left the diner, not meeting his father's questioning gaze as he too rose from the booth to follow Dean. "Come on Dad…it's better that I just show you."

John followed Dean's car back to the hotel. _"God Sammy, what have you gotten yourself into?"_ John thought as he parked the truck. He could tell by Dean's actions that whatever it was…he wasn't going to like it.

"Ok son, what couldn't you tell me in the diner…Sam isn't…he isn't" John couldn't say the words, he couldn't believe Sam might be gone.

"No Dad…but, well…it may be worse…I just don't know how Sam will deal with it!" Dean walked over to the computer and pressed play. He heard his father's quick intake of breath as he watched his youngest son's torment.

Dean focused on preparing the rest of the weapons. He couldn't watch it again. He couldn't see the result of his momentary lapse of judgment_. "Damn bet…why did he have to push Sammy into dating…next time, he would let him do it his own way…next time"_ Dean sighed, he had to believe that there would be a next time or he would fall apart.

Dean glanced again at the screen. He had already narrowed the search down by including only those with a barn on the property. He blocked the torment his little brother was going through and tried to concentrate on the background. After a few moments, he could no longer ignore his brother's screams. He stood up intending to go out to the car and start packing…but something caught his eye…it couldn't be!

"Dad, reverse it back a few frames…that's it, right there" Dean concentrated for a few minutes and smiled for the first time since Sammy had disappeared. "I'll be damned…that's my boy!"

"Dean what is it?" John's voice was husky with unshed tears.

"Look at his right hand…he's talking to us in Morse code!"

John looked and smiled. Sam was opening and closing his hand in a definite pattern….closed for dot and open for dash. "Good boy!" John exclaimed as he reversed the images back to where Sam began signaling. He wrote down what Sam was saying:

Mountain…Horses…Barn…Farm…Woods…Camel on Barn…Trap

Sam repeated the same words over and over as he endured the torture being done to him. Dean was already on the phone with a local realty company. A few moments later, he went to the computer and typed in the information the agent had given him. "Gotcha!" Dean exclaimed as he looked at the virtual tour of the old horse ranch located in the mountains. On the side of the barn was a faded picture of Joe Camel.

Printing out the directions, Dean began to pack up his things. He knew that his father was also getting ready. He had headed out to his truck without saying a word. Dean was giving him a little space to absorb what he had just seen…he had seen the tears on his father's face as he watched the things that those monster's had done to Sam.

Dean had almost finished packing his back pack when he paused; going back out to the car, he reached into Sam's bag and pulled out a set of clean clothes for Sam. He sighed, he hoped Sam didn't need them.

TBC

Raven524: Thanks for all the great reviews and support. Keep the reviews coming…I love it!


	7. Chapter 7 Finding Sam

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 7 – Finding Sam**

Sam groaned as he got up from his latest stumble down the steep incline. He had been moving, keeping the sun at his back for most of the morning. He was so thirsty…he hoped he would find water soon. Sam shivered once again as the biting wind blew over his bare chest. He felt like he was losing the battle; each step was getting harder and harder.

Sam knew that he would have to stop soon. He also knew he needed to hide his scent…the vampires would be able to easily track him. Sam had periodically cut pine bows to hide his trail and hopefully mask his scent. He hoped it worked, because if not, the vampires would find him soon.

A few hours later, Sam glanced up at the sun. It would be dark in a couple of hours. Great, if he didn't freeze to death from the cold, he would probably be found by the vampires. He had not seen any sign of a town or other residences in the deep woods. But Sam was starting to not care. The pain of his wounds and blood loss were taking its toll on his body and mind. He pulled out his cell phone one more time…maybe this time it would work.

Sam punched in Dean's number and waited…one ring, two rings and then…

"Sammy…is that you?" Dean's anxious voice came over the line.

Sam sobbed and almost dropped the phone…his fingers were numb from the cold.

"Deeeaaannn…so cccold…I can't do it Dean…I'm sorry" Sam fell to his knees.

"Sammy…Sam! Listen to me! Dad and I are here looking for you…do you know where you are?"

"No…I've been going downhill…sun is ahead of me…Oh God, Dean, it's almost gone…I can't do it again…I can't!"

"Sammy…we are already on your trail…do you hear me…I won't let them get you again…just stay put…I'll find you!"

Sam fell to the ground unconscious.

**ooooooooo**

Earlier that day, Dean climbed into his father's truck. He had packed his back pack with everything he could think of, just in case they had to walk in. He glanced at his father, remembering his reaction to the disc, he knew that his father was probably just as deeply affected. He decided to wait until his father wanted to talk about it…if Sam had been here, Dean wouldn't have been able to keep him quiet…but his father…he always kept his thoughts and emotions bottled up inside. Dean decided to try to get some sleep…he needed to be sharp when they rescued Sam.

John looked over at the sleeping figure of his oldest son. He was glad that the boy had finally dozed off. He figured that Dean probably hadn't slept at all since Sam had gone missing. Shaking his head, he didn't want to think what would happen to Dean if they couldn't save Sam.

John gripped the steering wheel so tightly, that his knuckles were white. He kept seeing his youngest screaming in pain and humiliation. This time, none of those bastards were going to get away…no one hurt his boys and got away with it!

Two hours later, John pulled the truck into a stand of trees about a mile from the ranch. Gently shaking Dean, he motioned for him that it was time to go. Both men grabbed their back packs and got ready to hike to the ranch. John handed Dean a bag of ash and proceeded to dust his clothes form his own bag. The smell would help hide their scent…no sense letting the bastards know they were coming.

Dean and John arrived at the ranch by noon. Neither of them had to talk, John led and Dean followed…the old routine kicking in. They quickly searched each of the buildings. They verified that Sam was not in any of them and that the vampires were all asleep upstairs in the large farm house. Both men walked into the barn and stopped, each deep in their own thoughts.

Dean touched the bloodied rope that had held his brother. Looking closely at the ground, he could see where a heavy body had fallen on the ground. _"That's my boy!"_ Dean thought to himself as he realized that his brother must have gotten himself free. But now where was he!

John had begun checking the perimeter and eventually found Sam's trail. He signaled to Dean, who joined him as they began following the uneven footsteps down the hill. John smiled as he saw the signs that Sam was thinking enough to try to hide his trail. If you didn't know what to look for, it would have been easily missed.

"Your brother can't be too bad off Dean…he's still able to try and hide his tracks!" John said trying to encourage his oldest son. He knew that Dean was taking this hard…and that he probably blamed himself. But John knew where the real blame belonged…he should have finished the job!

"Yeah…well Sammy always was the best at hiding…let's just hope he doesn't hide too well…we have to find him Dad!"

"I know son…we will, just be patient!" John placed a calming hand on Dean's shoulder as the men continued down the hill.

John noticed that Sam's tracks were becoming more staggered and there were signs that he was falling frequently. He knew that Sam must be running out of steam. He prayed that his injuries would not be life threatening…although, this time they would also have to worry about his mind.

Dean jumped when he heard his cell phone ring. Grabbing it out of his pocket, he answered when he saw it was from Sam.

A few moments later, Dean looked at his father who nodded in understanding…they had to get to Sam quickly.

**ooooooooo**

Sam opened his eyes slowly, the world around him a haze. One minute he was freezing and the next, he was burning up. He tried to figure out where he was, but his mind just couldn't seem to focus. He tried to sit up, but his body refused. He closed his eyes again, almost ready to accept the darkness that awaited him.

Suddenly he heard a rustling of the bushes not far from where he lay. Looking wildly around him, he tried to find a place to hide. He saw an old log, not far from where he was. If he could get over there, he might be able to hide on the other side of it.

Since walking was definitely out…Sam crawled to the log and dropped down behind it….pulling some of the debris from the forest floor to help hide his body and hopefully his scent. Sam held his breath as he waited. Dean said he would come and Sam believed him. He just had to stay hidden until Dean could find him.

The sound of footsteps was getting closer. Sam tried to stay still, but his body would not stop shaking. He looked up and saw a boot land on the log. Sam whimpered and rolled away, intending to flee. He couldn't get caught again…he couldn't. Just as he started to try to get to his feet…he heard a word that stopped him.

"Sammy…Sammy…stop, it's me!" Dean said softly, trying not to startle his brother. He didn't like the wild look he saw in his little brother's eyes. From the flush on Sam's cheeks and the sweat mingled with blood on his brother's body, Dean was pretty sure Sam was running a fever.

Dean held out his hand, talking calmly to the frightened man sitting in front of him. He watched as Sam blinked, trying to focus on the face of the person approaching him. Sam flinched as Dean touched his shoulder, backing away from the touch. "Come on Sammy…it's me, let me help you!"

Dean crouched down so that Sam could see him more clearly. He wasn't prepared when Sammy launched himself at Dean, grabbing onto his coat and burying his head in his chest. Dean looked at his father as Sam continued to sob into his shoulder. His own tears threatened to fall as he gently stroked Sam's back, trying to calm him.

"Dean…we don't have time for this. We have to get moving and find a place to hole up for the night…they will be hunting us soon" John said quietly, trying not to spook his youngest son. He wished he could take the pain away…but since he couldn't, he would do what he was best at…he would protect his son from any further harm.

"I know Dad…just give us a minute ok?" Dean understood the urgency, but he didn't want to scare Sam…the kid had suffered enough.

"Look, Dean…you get him ready to travel…I'll scout around and find us some place where we can hole up for the night. I'll be right back!" John didn't wait for Dean's reply, but started to hunt for a safe place for him and his boys.

Sam's sobs were beginning to lessen as Dean continued to rub his brother's back. A few moments later, Sam pushed back from Dean, feeling ashamed of his weakness. "I'm sorry Dean…I'm fine…can we get out of here now?"

"Sure kiddo…we're just waiting for Dad to come back…he's finding us a nice safe spot to spend the night."

"Dean…did you see…I mean…did you and Dad watch…" Sam couldn't finish the sentence. All the shame and guilt came rushing back.

"Yes Sam…we did…it was you're Morse code that led us here…way to go!" Dean tried to gloss over the fact that he had seen something that Sam may have wanted to keep to himself.

Sam couldn't look his brother in the eye…he wished now that the vampires had finished him…he couldn't stand to see the disgust. Shuddering once again with cold, Sam finally gave in to the darkness that had been calling to him for so long.

TBC

Raven524: Another chapter bites the dust (sorry couldn't resist – LOL). I'm not sure when I'll update next as holiday weekends tend to get hectic…will try to have another chapter up by Sunday. Remember to R&R!


	8. Chapter 8 The Cave

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 8 – The Cave**

John walked quickly through the thick woods; he was worried about the frantic look he had seen in his young son's eyes. He knew this time, Sam would take more care…those bastards had done more than damage his son's body…they had touched his soul. He felt bad about leaving Dean to handle Sam, but John knew that if anyone could help Sam, it was Dean. He had given up that right long ago…in the choices he had made to keep his family safe.

He stopped as he saw a group of overgrown bushes at the base of what looked like a small hill in the terrain. He parted the branches and smiled when he saw the entrance to a small cave behind…perfect! But first he had to make sure that nothing else was currently calling this home. Moving into the cave, he noticed that though narrow in the beginning, the interior got bigger; ending in a fairly large cave. He saw signs that an animal may have used this cave in the past, but there were no recent tracks or droppings to indicate it was still in use. Thanking whoever was watching over them…John quickly headed back towards Dean and Sam.

**ooooooooo**

Back at the farm house, Kate stretched lazily as she remembered last night's fun. She had been right, Sam was an excellent lover…too bad he had to die. Getting up, she decided to go out and see how her captive was doing. Tonight he would suffer again…only this time, Sheila would have center stage.

Kate entered the barn expecting to find Sam…but all that met her gaze was an empty barn. "Everyone come here at once!" Kate screamed as she exited the barn and started to smell the air. He may have gotten away, but he wouldn't get far in his condition…she would simply follow his scent.

"Stephen…go check on the girl!" Kate commanded as she started to divide up the group for the hunt. She sent the two girls and a man heading towards town. She sent the other two men heading down the mountain into the woods. She would wait for Stephen and then they would head up the mountain…hoping to catch Sam's scent. So far she could not detect anything, he must have hidden it somehow…but she knew that they would find it eventually.

Stephen returned quickly "She's gone…that bastard must have taken her with him…this time I'm going to kill him!"

"All in good time Stephen…don't worry, we'll find them both before the night is out…come on baby…the hunter is now going to be the hunted…this should be fun!" Kate smiled, this might be better, this way Sam would really suffer when they caught him…and she would…nothing would keep her from her revenge on the Winchester family!

**ooooooooo**

Dean caught Sam as he fell forward, unconscious. He gently lowered his brother to the ground, concerned by the ice cold feel of Sam's skin and the slightly blue coloring around Sam's lips. Sam's body continued to shiver in the cold night air. Grabbing his back pack, Dean pulled out Sam's Jacket and quickly put it on his brother's limp frame. He was glad that Sam had passed out for now, it would make getting him to wherever they needed to go much easier. He could carry Sam without worrying about the additional pain that would be inflicted from his many wounds and bruises.

Dean kept a wary eye on the woods surrounding him…as the sun began to fall below the horizon; he knew that the hunt for Sam would begin. His eyes blazed with hatred at the thought of those animals getting their hands on his little brother. He would kill them all for what they had done!

He gently pushed Sam's bangs from his eyes, grimacing at the black eye that was almost swollen shut. Sam should be in a hospital…but he knew that it would take him and his father at least 2 days to get him out of this remote location.

Dean jumped and reached for his cross bow as he heard a faint rustling coming from the direction his father had disappeared in…he wasn't taking any chances with Sam this time. Dean smiled as he heard a soft whistle…the signal he and his father used many times to let the other know it was not the enemy approaching.

"Dean…how's he doing?" John asked quietly as he looked at the battered face of his youngest son.

"Not good Dad…we need to get him someplace where I can take care of him…we'll have to carry him…I don't think he can make it there under his own power" Dean said softly.

"I found a cave about half a mile from here…we'll take turns carrying him, it's kind of a steep climb" John added quickly, trying to make sure that Dean understood he didn't doubt his ability to carry Sam the whole way.

"Dean, help me get him on my shoulders…I'll take the first bit since I will need to lead you in at the end…ok?" John was trying not to bark orders…it was hard, but after the demon incident in Salvation, he was trying to be more of a father than a drill sergeant.

Dean started to argue, but stopped as he saw the look in his father's eyes…he could see his father needed to help Sammy as much as he did. "Fine, I'll take up rear guard…those bastards are probably on the hunt as we speak!"

John nodded as he got Sam situated on his shoulders in a fire man's carry. He couldn't remember the last time he had carried his son…he looked at Dean with a new sense of admiration…he knew that Dean had carried Sam more than once in the past and did it with ease. Grunting slightly, John started up the hill towards the cave with Dean bringing up the rear.

A short while later, John helped Dean lower Sam to the ground in front of the cave…pushing the brush aside, he grabbed Sam's shoulders and Dean grabbed his legs. They carefully carried the injured young man into the large chamber at the back of the cave. Dean stretched his tired muscles as he looked around the dark cave. A few moments later, the cave was illuminated by the lantern his father had pulled from his pack.

"Great location Dad…but do you think they will miss it?" Dean asked as he started to pull out the bed roll he had brought with him.

"I think so, but just to make sure, I'm going to go back out and hide our trail. Make sure you dust Sammy's clothes with the ash I gave you…we don't need them following his scent into here." John removed his back pack and placed it against the wall. He grabbed his own cross bow and went out into the night to make sure that his boys would be safe.

Dean began to get things ready so that he could work on Sam. He smiled as he saw signs of an old fire pit near the back wall of the cave…taking a closer look at the wall, he noticed the Indian paintings on the wall…this must have been used a long time ago by the Indians who lived in the area. Thanking the Great Spirit or whoever was looking out for them…Dean quickly built a small fire from the wood that had been left behind.

He placed the bed roll near the fire and went back to get Sam. Lifting his brother one more time, Dean gently placed him on the bed roll, removing the jacket so he could start working on the wounds that covered his little brother's chest and back. Sam moaned, but did not wake as Dean went back to get his pack and grab his father's bed roll. He would need to use that to keep Sam warm.

He wished he had some ice for Sam's eye, but that would eventually heal on its own. His biggest concern right now was to clean and bandage the bite marks…in particular the one on Sam's shoulder was looking real bad. It was raw and swollen with puss oozing from the wound. Dean was glad that Sam was still unconscious as he started to clean the wound…it looked like the bastard had damaged the muscles underneath. "Well little brother, once again you managed to get yourself banged up pretty good…but don't worry…Doctor Dean will make it all better!"

Dean felt Sam shudder as he cleaned each wound on his chest and back. A few of them needed stitches, which Dean did quickly as he didn't want to cause his brother any more pain. The heat from the fire had at least stopped Sam from shivering from the cold, but Dean noticed that Sam's body was also beginning to burn with fever. He would have to wake Sam soon so that he could give him the antibiotics, pain pills and fever reducer.

"Ok Sam, I've finished with your chest and back…that wasn't too bad was it?" Dean kept talking to Sam, trying to let him know that he wasn't alone anymore. "Now I know you hate showing those chicken legs of yours, but I have to clean the wounds that I saw…" Dean swallowed, he didn't want to remind Sam he had seen the torture and the damage that had been done.

Sam moaned again and began to open his eyes. "Hey there little brother…just like you to wake up when all the work is almost done!" Dean smiled at the confused look in his brother's eyes. "Look Sam, we need to get your pants off so I can clean the wounds…besides I actually remembered to bring you clean clothes…so we can get you out of these dirty ones!" Dean was trying to keep it light, knowing that Sam hated to be fussed over.

Dean reached down and began to unbuckle Sam's belt…he wasn't prepared for Sam's violent reaction. Sam hit Dean full force in the jaw, knocking him backwards. "No…don't touch me! I mean it…if you touch me again I'll kill you!" Sam's choked voice screamed as he crawled towards the front of the cave, away from Dean.

Dean immediately jumped to his feet and rushed to stop his brother. "Sammy…it's ok bro', it just me…you have to be quiet and let me finish…Sam?"

Sam's fevered brain still had him back on the horse ranch, he couldn't focus on anything but escape…turning once more, he lunged for the cave entrance. But before he could react, he was grabbed by another person who was entering the cave. "Nooooo! Leave me alone…please…just leave me…please!"

TBC

Raven524: Hurray...the site is letting me upload, at least for now. Thanks to all who have been sending in reviews...I am trying to answer back, but the site has been really slow today. Keep sending them in...they are better than a caffeine rush!


	9. Chapter 9 Visions

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 9 – Vision**

"Nooooo! Leave me alone…please…just leave me…please!"

John was shocked at the desperation he saw on his young son's face as he continued to struggle. "Sammy…Damn it Sam…calm down!" John ordered, hoping to get through to the boy.

Sam shuddered and blinked, shaking his head to clear his foggy brain. "Dad…Dad…is that you?" Sam whispered as he tried to turn to see the person who was holding him gently, but firmly.

"Yes, son…you need to calm down, you're going to undo all the hard work your brother had done in stitching you up!" John put his young son's good arm over his shoulder and led him back to the bed roll in the back of the cave. With Dean's help he gently lowered Sam back onto the bed roll.

Sam groaned as his body started to feel the pain from the various injuries. Looking over at Dean, he could see the beginning of a bruise on his brother's jaw and cringed as he realized it must have been him that put it there. "Dean…man…I'm so sorry!" Sam turned his face away, sighing as he realized that once again he had hurt his brother…he knew it wasn't intentional, but it didn't make it right. He wouldn't blame Dean if he wanted to just leave his sorry ass here.

Dean noticed Sam's withdrawal…he knew his brother was probably beating himself up over what happened. "Sammy…Sam…look at me" Dean gently reached over and pulled his brother's face to meet his own. "I'm not mad ok…you were out of your head with fever…of course, you know you're going to have to pay once you get back on your feet! I mean really Sam, first you ding my car and now you ding the driver!"

Sam smiled "Ok, I'll pay to have the ding repaired on your jaw…but you have to fix the car…after all…I did win the bet!"

Dean laughed, it was good to see the old Sammy peaking through "Sure…sure…but this face will be more expensive, I'm warning you!"

Sam got serious again as he remembered Sheila. "Dean…did you find Sheila…is she ok?"

"No Sam, there was no sign of her when we checked the ranch…what happened to her?"

"The last time I saw her, she was running for the woods…we have to find her…she could be hurt!"

"Hold on there cowboy…first we need to take care of you, and then we need to kill those bastards. I know you're worried, but she is from around here…she probably has found her way to help by now. Don't worry little brother, if she isn't back in town when we get there, Dad and I will get a rescue team out looking for her!"

Sam sighed…he knew his brother was right, but he couldn't help but worry about the girl. He only hoped that he had given her enough of a head start. He groaned again as the pain shot through his body…he was so tired…all he wanted to do right now was sleep and forget.

"Oh no little brother…you can't sleep yet. First you need to take some medicine and then we are going to see about getting some food into you…you need to start building up your strength again. Now do you want to take your pants off or do you need help!" Dean watched Sam closely this time, not wanting a repeat performance from earlier.

Sam didn't want to appear weak, especially in front of his father. He struggled to sit, trying to get the buckle undone, but in the end it proved to be too much for him. He turned his face in frustration, not wanting his brother and father to see the tears that were beginning to form.

"Look son, let me help you up, then Dean can work on the wounds on your legs." John reached over and helped his son to his feet. "Don't worry…I've had to have help a few times myself…it's a bitch, but sometimes you just gotta bite the bullet and let someone help you!"

Sam looked at his father "You allowed someone to undress you?"

"Sure, more than once…son…you have nothing to be ashamed of…do you understand me…nothing!" John hoped that Sam would understand what he was trying to tell him. He knew part of the problem had to do with his son's being raped by that bitch Kate. It was as close to an emotional moment as he could come to with his son.

Dean worked quickly getting the jeans off Sam while his father was holding the young man's attention. Luckily the bites on his legs were not as bad as the others. Dean made a quick job of cleaning the wounds and bandaging them. Tossing the torn and bloody jeans off to the side, he grabbed the clean pair of jogging pants he had pulled from Sam's bag. "Here you go little brother, these should be more comfortable for you…do you need help with the shirt or can you do it yourself?"

Sam took a deep breath and looked at his father and brother. He knew he couldn't take care of himself for awhile and it helped that his father didn't view him as being weak…"Ok Dean…it's ok…I don't think I can raise my hands over my head…could you and Dad help me with it?"

Dean looked at his father and gave him a brief smile. Between the two of them, they managed to get Sam dressed and placed back on the bed roll. John pulled out a pot and can of soup from his back pack, preparing to make a quick meal. Dean came back over and helped Sam take the pills and drink the water. As Dean helped hold Sam up, his father helped Sam eat the warm soup. Nothing was said as the two oldest hunters took care of the youngest…nothing had to be said, for the first time in a long time, there was a feeling of peace and contentment in the Winchester family.

**ooooooooo**

Kate and Stephen had been traveling for a couple of hours with no sign of Sam. Kate was getting angry…she would not fail. "Let's head back to the ranch to see what the others have found…for all your sakes, I hope he is found soon!"

As they returned to the ranch, they found that three of the vampires had returned. "Don't tell me you came back empty handed" Kate spat as she looked towards the root cellar.

"No Kate…we found the girl…she's in the root cellar. She claims she doesn't know where the boy is!"

"We'll see about that…bring her! At least we can increase the pack again tonight…then she can join the hunt for the other!"

Stephen smiled as he went to get his prize. Soon she would be his and no one could ever take her from him again!

**ooooooooo**

John had taken the first watch. He knew that both of his sons needed to get some sleep. Tomorrow they would start to get Sam out of here. Once he was safe, he would come back and take care of the bastards.

Inside the cave, Dean had laid down next to Sam…he needed the contact almost as much as Sam did. He couldn't believe that his brother was safe and with time would be healed. The next problem would be to get him out of here without running into any of the vampires. Unfortunately, they stood between them and the truck. He'd deal with that problem later…for now it was enough that Sam was breathing quietly beside him.

It felt like Dean had only been sleeping for a few hours, when he heard his brother begin to moan in his sleep. Coming awake, he reached over a comforting hand, hoping to let his brother know that he was not alone. He wasn't surprised that Sam was having a nightmare…most people would after what he had experienced.

"Come on Sammy…it's ok, you're safe!" Dean crooned, but Sam continued to toss and moan in his sleep. "Oh shit Sammy" Dean said as he noticed the tell tale signs of another vision…this wasn't just a nightmare…Sam was have a vision. "Not now…why can't you give him a rest…just once!" Dean said into the night air. A few moments later his instincts proved to be on target as Sam sat up and grabbed his head.

"Oh God…No….Sheila!"

TBC

Raven524: Sorry for the cliffie (well actually not too sorry)…for those who wondered when Sheila would come back in…here she is! Hope you like the latest chapter in the story. Just R&R!


	10. Chapter 10 First Attack

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 10 – First Attack**

_Sam was back at the ranch, in the same barn that Kate had used to torment him. He watched as the vampires came in with a struggling figure between them. Sam couldn't believe it…they had Sheila! He saw her tear stained face and listened as she begged them to let her go._

_Sam tried to move to help her, but all he could do is watch. Sheila was quickly tied to a post. Kate walked over to her and smiled. "You have been a pain…you go to the police, you won't tell us where Sam is…it's time you found out what you have been missing!"_

_Sam thought he was going to be sick as he watched the ceremony. Kate turned to Stephen "Are you ready?" Stephen nodded. Kate pulled out a small knife and slit Stephen's arm. Stephen walked up to Sheila, an evil smile on his face. "Now you will be mine forever…hush, it won't hurt…I promise"_

_Stephen took some of his own blood into his mouth and forced it into Sheila's mouth by kissing her deeply. Sheila gagged as the blood poured down her throat…the terror in her eyes increased as she realized what was happening to her. "Why Stephen…I thought you love me once…why would you do this to me?"_

"_Because I love you…I can't bear to be without you. Don't you see, you never have to fear death, you and I can be together forever…no one else can ever take my place now that you have ingested my blood…we are bound for eternity" Stephen wiped a tear from Sheila's face._

_Kate nodded in satisfaction. "By tomorrow night, she will be one of us…then she will join the hunt for Sam Winchester!"_

_Sam felt the tears fall as he looked at the face of the broken young woman. She looked up as if seeing him there…"Sam…you promised…please keep your promise!" Sobbing, she fell unconscious as Stephen cut the ropes and carried her towards the house._

**ooooooooo**

Sam sat up screaming and holding his head in his hands "Oh God…No…Sheila!" He was aware that Dean was beside him, but the horror of what he had just witnessed was too fresh in his mind. He crawled over to the side of the Cave and lost his dinner.

Dean walked over and gently stroked Sam's back, waiting for the retching to stop. "Sammy, that's it…take it easy…just breathe…that's it." Dean watched as Sam tried to get his emotions under control.

"Oh God Dean…we're too late…they've converted her…Sheila is one of them and it's all my fault!" Sam sobbed as he dropped his head into his hands. "She couldn't tell them where I was…she didn't know…they converted her to try to find me for God's sake…I should have looked for her before I left!" Sam tried to stand, but his legs wouldn't support him.

Dean reached over and helped Sam up and back to the bed roll. He didn't like the look on his brother's face…it was a look of complete defeat. "Sam, it may not have happened yet…we may still have time…tell me exactly what you saw…maybe we can use it to help her!"

Sam shook his head…he didn't know how…but he knew that it had happened already…he knew there was nothing he could do. "Dean I can't explain it…but I know it's too late…I'm going to have to keep my promise"

"Promise…what promise Sam? What are you talking about?" Dean wasn't sure he liked where this was heading.

"Dean, I have to kill her…God help me, but I have to take her life and I don't know if I can do it!" Sam rolled over, facing away from Dean. His head felt like it was going to explode…but it was nothing compared to the pain he was in knowing what he must do.

"Sammy…it's ok…look, Dad or I can handle it when the time comes ok? I promise, we will make sure that she doesn't have to suffer the life of being a vampire." Dean patted Sam on the shoulder as he rose. It was time for him to relieve their father. "Try to get some sleep Sam…we are out of here first thing in the morning!"

Sam watched as Dean left…he knew that Dean or his Father would take care of it for him…but he had promised and somehow, he would see it through…he owed her that much. He thought back over the images that had played through his mind while he was experiencing the vision…something was nagging at him. Thinking back he finally realized what it was…two of the vampires were missing…that meant they may be on there way here. He had to warn Dean and his father!

Sam stood on unsteady legs and shuffled towards the cave entrance. He couldn't believe how weak he felt. Each movement brought on fresh pain from his wounds. He had just made it to the entrance when he heard someone coming. Stepping back, he prepared to protect himself. A moment later the figure of his father appeared in the entrance.

"Sam…what the hell do you think you're doing? I told you to stay put and rest. How are we going to get you out of here, if you refuse to rest?" John was tired and definitely was not in the mood for any arguments. Dean had filled him in on Sam's latest vision and he was afraid that his head strong son would take off to handle it on his own.

"Dad…listen…I just remembered, in the vision…two of the vampires are missing! We have to warn Dean…they may be on the way here!" Sam stumbled and would have fallen if his father hadn't caught him.

"Ok Sam…just let me get you back to your bed…I'll go warn Dean." John led his youngest son back to the bed roll and helped him lay back down. He didn't like the sheen of sweat that was forming on his son's face or the heat he felt radiating from his son's body as he gently pulled the other bed roll up over his son's chest.

"Sam are you ok?" John asked as he reached into the first aid kit for the pills he knew would help his son.

"Yeah Dad…just go help Dean…I'll stay here…I promise." In truth Sam was having trouble keeping his eyes open. Between the nightmare and his attempt to walk, his body wasn't going to let him do much else.

"Here Son, take these…they should help. I really don't like leaving you alone, but I have to warn your brother…you need to stay here where it is safe, understand?" John reached over and pulled out a knife and the extra machete he had brought with him. Putting them within easy reach of his youngest son he prepared to leave. "Sam…try to stay awake if you can…we'll be back real soon!"

Sam just nodded, too tired to do anything else. He watched as his father left the cave, feeling alone, he wished Dean was here with him. He needed his big brother to keep the nightmares away. Reaching for the knife, he clutched it in his trembling hand…he would do his part…he would be ready in case something else returned.

**ooooooooo**

Dean had walked to the top of the small hill. He could see the entrance to the cave far below and had a good viewpoint of the land surrounding it. He tried to let the stillness of the night calm his nerves, but his mind kept wandering back to Sam's latest vision. There was no way he was going to let Sam keep his promise…he knew that no matter how often he told Sam it wasn't his fault, Sam would still take on the extra burden. In truth…if any one was to blame, it was Dean…Dean had pointed out the girl to Sam; he had been the one to force the issue. Dean sighed, he would deal with his own guilt later…for now, he had to make sure that Sammy was safe.

Dean's senses came to full alert when he heard a slight rustling off to his right. Stepping back into the shadow of a large tree, he watched intently. Sure enough…he spotted someone walking towards the Cave entrance. From this distance, he couldn't be sure if the figure had scene the entrance. But Dean wasn't taking any chances…he took aim with the cross bow, ready to fire if the figure came too close.

The figure stopped just outside the cave and looked off into the distance. Dean could have sworn it was sniffing the air. As the figure turned, Dean saw the strange glow in its eyes…damn it was one of the vampires! Without thinking Dean let the arrow fly…hitting the vampire in the chest. He heard the vampire groan as it fell to its knees…weakened by the arrow, but not dead. Dean started to head down the hill to finish the job when he felt himself tackled from behind.

The cross bow flew from his hands as Dean fell to the ground. He rolled over and immediately regained his feet…_Shit! He should have known there would be more than one!_

TBC

Raven524: Well one down…a couple more baddies to go! Thanks again for all the reviews…I loved all of them! Please keep them coming!


	11. Chapter 11 Two Down

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 11 – Two Down**

John heard the sound of the arrow and the groan as he got near the entrance to the cave. Not wanting to reveal the entrance, he cautiously peered through the brush. He saw the vampire clutch at the arrow in its chest and fall…John quickly pulled his machete and advanced on the vampire. Without hesitation, John beheaded the vampire and began looking for his other son.

He heard the sounds of struggle further up the hill. Grabbing his cross bow he started up the hill to help while keeping an eye open for others. If Sammy was correct, there should have been two vampires…one was gone, but he was betting the other was with Dean.

Meanwhile, Dean was facing the second vampire…his machete in hand, ready to put the monster out of its misery. He could feel the hatred boiling in his veins as he recognized the face as one of those that had held his brother down. "You bastard…I'm going to send you to hell!"

"You can try…but after I'm finished killing you, I'm going to bring back Kate's toy…you won't be able to stop me!" The vampire advanced, knocking the machete from Dean's hands, he threw Dean back into the tree.

Dean saw stars, but was not going to give up that easily. He charged the vampire, hitting it full force with his head into its stomach. He smiled as he heard the vampire groan. The vampire and Dean continued to roll on the ground, trading punches. Dean managed to break free and stood up looking for his machete. He saw it laying on a small outcropping of rock a short distance away. Running over and grabbing the weapon, he turned to finish the vampire off. But the vampire was quick, he charged at Dean once again, causing both of them to tumble from the edge and roll down the hill.

Dean tried to shield himself as he felt his body hitting the various rocks and brush on the way down. He grunted as his ribs came to rest against a large boulder. Shaking his head to clear it, Dean tried to stand once again. He saw the vampire coming at him with the machete…Dean threw his arms up in a protective gesture, waiting for the blow.

Suddenly he saw the vampire drop the machete and grab at its chest…a look of confusion spreading over its face. A moment later, the look was gone as its head was separated from its shoulders by a furious looking John Winchester. "No body hurts my boys you bastard!" John said as he cleaned the machete blade in the grass and returned it to its sheath at his side.

John sighed with relief when he saw the green eyes of his oldest son looking at him. When he saw Dean tumbling down the hill…his heart almost stopped beating. "Hey son…you ready to go check on Sammy?" John asked, concerned when he saw Dean holding his ribs as he stood on unsteady legs.

"Sure Dad…but how did you?" Dean turned to join his father as they started to slowly descend the rest of the way to the cave's entrance.

"Sammy…he noticed that two of the vampires were missing from his vision…somehow he knew they were close by." John shook his head in wonder, he knew his son had abilities, but seeing them in action was another thing.

"Yeah…he kind of has a knack for sensing when things are about to hit the fan…comes in handy sometimes!" Dean smiled as he replaced the machete his father had retrieved in his own sheath.

As both of the older hunters entered the cave, they looked at each other and smiled. They could see Sam lying on his side, facing the cave entrance holding the knife that John had left. He looked like he was ready to fight, except for the fact that his eyes were closed, his mouth slightly open in sleep.

Moving quietly so as not to wake the sleeping young man. They continued into the cave. However, Dean couldn't repress the groan as he slid to the ground next to his back pack. Sam's eyes snapped open and looked towards the sound, his hand tightening on the hilt of the blade.

"Whoa there Sammy…its just me and I don't need any more wounds tonight!" Dean said jokingly, watching as Sam's fever filled eyes tried to focus on him.

"What's wrong with you?" Sam asked anxiously, his mind was foggy, but he could tell that Dean was hurting.

"Nothing little brother…just a few bumps and bruises. Go back to sleep…it will be dawn in another hour and we have to get out of here!" Dean watched as Sam's eyes closed once more, his grip on the knife relaxing slightly.

"Here Dean…let me get you cleaned up!" John said in his commanding tone. He knew his oldest son would deny that he was hurt…but John knew better.

"Dad…I'm fine…ouch!" Dean complained as his father had lifted his shirt and began probing at his sore ribs.

"You're right…nothing broken. Now hold still while I wrap them for you…I can't carry both of you out of this place!" John continued to work on Dean, making sure that his son was ok. After he finished he ordered Dean to lay down next to Sam and get some sleep. He would pack them up and have them ready to leave by dawn.

A short time later, John sat next to the fire, heating up another can of soup. He knew they all had to eat before they left, especially Sam who from the looks of things, hadn't kept the last meal down. Staring into the flames, John tried to come up with a way to get his boys out of here. According to Sam and Dean there had been a total of seven vampires, eight now with Sheila. Luckily he had gotten rid of two of the bastards, but that left six of them between them and the safety of the truck.

Pulling out his cell phone, he checked it again…still no reception. Up in these mountains cell phones were a crap shoot at best. Heading back to town also wasn't an option…it was too far. No, they would have to travel as far as they could during the daylight and probably hole up for one more night before they would be able to reach the truck. He couldn't chance moving Sam at night…he would be too hard to protect out in the open and obviously he wasn't in any kind of shape to protect himself.

Walking over to Dean, he gently touched his son's shoulder "Dean come on…we need to get going."

Dean woke up instantly looking over at the sleeping figure of Sam. "Sure Dad…but how are we going to get him out of here?" Dean didn't think Sam was up for the long hike out of here.

"Get your brother up and ready to go…there is soup over there for both of you…I want to see it gone when I get back. Don't worry Dean…I think I have a way to get him out of here." John stood and grabbed the camping axe from his pack. "I mean it Dean…_both_ of you better eat and be ready to go by the time I get back!"

Dean watched as his father left the cave. He groaned a little as his ribs reminded him that he was not a hundred percent either. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he reached over and frowned as he felt the fever in Sam's skin. Fever meant infection…damn; he would have to check all the wounds again.

Deciding to let Sam sleep a little longer, Dean went to his pack and gathered what he needed. He packed away everything else so that all that was left was the first aid kit, the soup mug for Sammy and the bed rolls. He had downed his soup in no time, glad that his father had thought to have it ready for him…his stomach was growling when he woke up.

"Dean…what time is it?" Sam whispered, opening his eyes and quickly shutting them again against the pain in his body. He could feel the bites throbbing, especially the one in his shoulder.

"Hey sleepy head…its just about time for us to get going. I need to remove your shirt so that I can check your wounds ok? Dean gently held Sam up while he tried to pull the shirt over his brother's head. He didn't miss the slight flinch when he pulled the shirt up. Damn that bitch…she was going to pay!

"Ok Sam, now lean forward a little, I need to look at the ones on your back first." Dean made quick work of the wounds on Sam's back. They still looked painful, but none appeared to be infected. "They are looking pretty good there Sam…too bad though…I don't think any of them will leave you with a cool scar."

Dean helped Sam lay back down and started to look at the wounds on his brother's chest. He heard Sam whimper slightly when he removed the bandage from the wound on his shoulder. As he suspected, it was infected and it looked like somehow Sam had pulled a few stitches. "Sorry Sam but this is going to hurt a little…I have to get this cleaned up."

Dean moved as quickly as he could, trying to minimize the pain. He could feel Sam tremble under his hands as he finished. "That's it Sammy…all done. I need you take these pills and eat some of this soup then we can start getting you out of here."

Sam took the pills and downed them with the water that Dean provided. He watched as Dean went back to pack the first aid kit and returned with a sling. "We need you to stop using that shoulder Sam…if you keep pulling the stitches, it will keep getting infected. But first, let's get your coat on." Dean helped Sam with the coat and gently placed his brother's wounded arm into the sling. Helping his brother up, he helped him sit by the cave wall. "Here, start eating this while I finish packing" As Dean turned, he saw his father re-enter the cave.

"Good boys! We are almost ready…Dean grab your back pack and the bed rolls and come outside with me for a minute. "Sam…you just rest there and finish that soup…the mug had better be empty when I return!"

Sam smiled as he responded "Yes Sir!"

Dean followed his father outside and smiled as he saw the frame his father had built. Using the bed rolls, Dean and his father quickly finished making the travois that they would use to carry Sam. "Ok Dean, one of us pulls Sam…the other takes point. I don't think we need to worry, but we can't chance being attached out in the open. Now go get your brother and let's get out of here!"

Sam blinked rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight that was filtering down through the trees…as his eyes focused, he saw the contraption that Dean and his father had built. "Dad…I don't need that…I can walk!" Sam complained

"Sam, I'm not arguing with you over this. Dean and I can't be slowed down by you…we need to get as far as we can today during the daylight…now get over here so we can secure you and get moving…we are already burning daylight" John wasn't in the mood to deal with his son's injured pride.

"Come on Sammy…you heard heap big Indian Chief…the sooner you lay down, the sooner we can leave!" Dean helped Sam lay down on the travois. "Besides, you've often called him a horse's ass…now let him be one!" Dean said quietly in Sam's ear. He smiled as he heard Sam laugh softly.

Taking his position in the lead, Dean began to head towards the truck and the vampire's nest…he just hoped they could stay out of their way until Sammy was safe…then he would return to kick some vampire ass!

**ooooooooo**

Kate watched as the hated sun rose over the trees. Looking at the others in the room Kate grimaced…two of her pack had not returned from the hunt. "Get some rest…tonight we will find Sam Winchester and make him pay dearly for what he has cost us!"

Kate knew that somehow Sam Winchester was responsible for the two missing vampires. Of course, this meant that she now knew which direction to head…she would follow the scent of the missing members of her pack…right to the prize!

TBC

Raven524: As promised, here is the next installment. I really appreciate all of you who are taking time to send in your reviews…just keep them coming!


	12. Chapter 12 Baiting the Trap

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 12 – Baiting the Trap**

John paused and adjusted the ropes he was using to pull the travois. They had been making good time. From the position of the sun, it was not quite noon yet and they had already covered a lot of ground. Of course, as the incline got steeper, he knew that they would not be able to keep up the same pace, but he was starting to feel hopeful that they might be out of here some time tomorrow morning.

John was proud of his youngest son. He knew that the travois wasn't the most pleasant way for him to travel. He knew from the look of pain on the young man's face, that the jarring ride was hurting him. But Sam never made a sound…in fact, none of them did for fear that one or more of the vampires would hear them.

While the vampires generally avoided sunlight…John knew that they could come out during daylight if they chose to. He was just hoping that they decided to sleep as was their normal pattern. Looking ahead, he could see Dean in full combat mode. Dean was an accomplished hunter, blending in with his surroundings and reading the forest as well as men with twice his experience. Both boys were making their old man proud…now if he could only make them proud of him.

Dean held up his hand, motioning a shady area that would make a good place to take a break. John nodded and followed Dean. "Dad…let's rest here for a minute. I want to get more water into Sam and give him a couple more pain pills…then let me take over, you look beat!"

John almost declined, but decided to accept Dean's decision. It was hard for him to take orders…he was too used to giving them. "Fine…but you need to take a couple of those pills yourself…I've seen you grabbed your ribs more than once…take the ones that don't make you drowsy. They're not as strong, but will help!" John carefully lowered his burden to the ground….stretching his sore muscles.

"Hey Sammy…how are ya doing there kiddo?" Dean asked softly as he used part of the water on a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from Sam's face.

Sam had been gritting his teeth for so long now; he thought his jaw might be permanently locked. He knew he was a burden to both his father and Dean, but he also understood that his body just wouldn't let him walk out of here. He tried to smile for his brother, but could tell he wasn't fooling him. "I'm ok Dean…any idea how much farther we need to go?"

"Unless we meet any obstacles, we should be within 4 miles of the ranch before the sun sets. So that means, you will be resting easy by late tomorrow morning" Dean paused to take a drink of water. His eyes widened as he saw Sam grab the bridge of his nose and groan…"Sammy?"

**ooooooooo**

_Sam was in a meadow with the moonlight shining down on him. He could feel someone holding him tightly, cutting off his air supply. Kate's cold voice drifted into the night. "Drop your weapons or I'll break his neck!" _

_Sam wanted to scream no, but he couldn't get the words past his lips. He watched in horror as both his father and Dean lay down their weapons…hatred evident in their eyes as they looked at Kate and Sam._

_Both Dean and his father were pushed down onto their knees by the other three vampires. Sam struggled against Kate, but she simply tightened her grip on his throat. "Now John Winchester, watch…watch as your son's die!" Before Sam could respond, the vampire holding Dean reached forward and broke his neck. Dean's sightless eyes stared into Sam's soul…apologizing even in death that he couldn't save his younger brother._

_John let out a scream and struggled to get to his son…but the three vampires held him fast. Sam felt the pressure on his neck increasing…any moment now, he would join Dean._

**ooooooooo**

"No….Oh God…Dean…can't breathe…help me!" Sam was trying to pull something from around his neck, his eyes wild in his face.

"Sammy…Sam…stop, you're going to hurt yourself!" Dean was trying to hold Sam's arms still; his father was trying to help, looking at Dean for instructions.

"Are they always this bad?" John asked as he saw his young son's face reflect an agonizing pain.

"Yeah…unfortunately…we just have to wait until he comes back to us!" Dean began talking to Sam in his soothing voice. After a few moments, Sam calmed down and blinked as he tried to bring Dean's face into focus.

"Dean?" Sam whispered

"The one and only…how bad is it?" Dean poured some more water on the handkerchief and once again wiped Sam's sweaty face.

Sam looked at both his brother and father. He could read the concern in their eyes and he knew that if they continued on their current path…his vision awaited them. "The vampires are going to attack us tonight…we need to come up with a plan and prepare or else we all die!"

John sat back on his heels, for the first time in his life; he didn't know how to react. Dean on the other hand, was used to Sam's visions and took charge. "Ok Sam, tell me exactly what you saw…you know that your visions are merely a prediction of what _could happen_…we have changed the events in the past and we will do the same thing now…what we need is a plan!"

More shaken than he wanted to admit, John took charge once more. "Come on Dean, grab Sam and lets start walking. We can plan as we move…with luck, we may yet be able to get out of here before tonight. Dean nodded as he stepped over to pick up the travois. "Hold on little brother, you know I only have one speed when it comes to travel…fast!"

The three hunters were silent for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts. As the afternoon wore on, John and Dean switched roles a few times, but never stopped moving forward. Sam had remained unusually quiet and withdrawn, ignoring the worried looks that both his father and brother were sending in his direction.

Sam had been thinking…he knew that they wouldn't be safe until the vampires were all dead. He had an idea, but he was sure that his father and brother would not agree to it. He had to convince them it was the only way…he couldn't let his vision come true…even if it meant him sacrificing himself.

It was now only a couple of hours before sunset and true to Dean's prediction, they were within 4 miles of the ranch. Dean stopped and rubbed his aching shoulders as he looked over the landscape…there wasn't much cover up here. The woods were fairly thick, but there wasn't much underbrush to conceal them. If they didn't find something soon, they would be in trouble.

Dean started off once more, following his father's lead…maybe they could make the four miles…it looked like they might not have a choice. As they came out of the tree line into a small meadow, Dean heard Sam's sharp intake of breath. "Dad…hold up! Sammy what is it?" Dean asked quietly. They were too close now to make noise. The vampires might hear them.

Sam motioned for both Dean and his father to stop and listen to him. Dean carefully lowered the travois and walked over to squat by Sam. Sam looked at both of them and cleared his throat. "Look, I know you two aren't going to like this, but let me finish" Sam paused as if sensing something in the air and then continued. "I know how we can defeat the vampires, but it will mean that I have to be the bait."

TBC

Raven524: Ok, to all those who reviewed today begging for another chapter…here you go…you see I do respond to bribery in the form of reviews!


	13. Chapter 13 Payback

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 13 – Payback**

Sam held up his hand as both his father and brother started to object. "We don't have much time…they'll be coming soon." Sam quickly laid out the plan to both Dean and his father.

"Look, we can assume that they don't know about you yet, Kate still thinks I'm on my own up here, lost in the woods. We need to use her thirst for revenge against her. It will blind her to everything but getting to me. Dean you and Dad need to hide in the woods here…they will be coming from the other side, following my scent…I will be out in the open, a short distance from you here. Just far enough out, so they can't catch your scent. Once they are all in the open…you need to open fire…in my vision there were only four of them…Stephen and Sheila were not there…so we need to watch out for them." Sam stopped, it was the longest speech he had made in days, and it had tired him. He waited for his father and brother to object, and truthfully, he knew they could stop him easily in his current condition.

Dean watched the play of emotions over Sam's face. He understood Sam's need to be a part of this…in fact, he was beginning to think, it would be good for him…otherwise, he would see himself as a helpless victim. Glancing at his father, Dean could see that he was also struggling with the decision…but from the look he gave Dean, he could tell that they both were coming to the same conclusion.

"Ok Sammy…you're right, we need to draw them out into the open and you're the best one for the job!" John said quietly, almost laughing at the shocked look on his youngest son's face. John was beginning to realize that his sons were grown men with valid opinions and good instincts. It was hard, but he would try to curb his need to be in charge…just a little.

"Dean, break out the weapons and find yourself a spot over to the left. I'll take the right. Sam…you can't be out there without any weapons…do you think you can handle a knife?" Sam nodded his head yes, still in shock that his father was following his plan.

"Great, the knife has been soaked in dead man's blood. It won't slow them down as quickly as the arrows, but it will have enough to get their attention and weaken them. Are you sure you're up to this Sam?" John asked as he saw the Sam grimacing in pain from the movement.

"Yeah Dad…I'm tired and sore, but I'll be alright. Dean…did you keep my jeans? I need to change back into what I was wearing or they will be suspicious."

"Sure, I have them, but you can't go walking around out there without a shirt…you need to keep those wounds covered or they'll get infected…besides, what good will it do if you die from pneumonia…maybe we should rethink this plan" Dean looked at his father with concerned eyes.

"Dean…no problem dude…they don't know that I didn't snatch one of their T-Shirts…I noticed that some of them had plain white T-Shirts…just let me borrow yours, it will hide the bandages and also be better, because its not my size"

"What do you mean not your size…I can't help it that you decided to grow into the Jolly Green Giant!" Dean smiled as he helped Sam change clothes. He insisted though that Sam keep the coat on until the last possible moment.

All three men paused as they watched the sun dip below the horizon. They were as prepared as they could be, the trap was baited, now all they had to do was wait.

Sam stumbled out into the meadow, barely keeping himself moving. His abused body was screaming at him to stop, but he had to keep up his end of the plan. He could feel the worried eyes of his brother and father on his back…he wouldn't let them down. Finding a rotting log not far from the tree line, Sam sat down. He let the calm of the forest seep into his mind, calming him. He wondered where Sheila and Stephen were right now. He had gotten used to trusting his 'instincts' as he like to call his ability to sense things…and right now, they told him that neither one of them would be coming.

He sighed as he thought about his promise to Sheila…he knew that the girl that he had dinner with no longer existed. But he wasn't sure that he could look her in the face and kill her. Sam had learned a long time ago, that life wasn't fair. The innocent died, the evil sometimes prospered…he just wished that this time, he could have saved the innocent life.

Sam snapped his head up and looked at the tree line opposite him…he couldn't explain it, but he knew they were there, watching him. Sam refused the impulse to look back towards his father and brother, but instead chose to get up and start walking towards the right…as if he was still trying to escape. He ignored the four vampires as they came from the woods, Kate in the lead.

It wasn't hard to pretend that he was exhausted and ready to fall…he just hoped he could stay standing long enough to watch his father and brother kill the bastards.

"Sam…don't bother running anymore…stop now and I'll make it easy on you!" Kate called in a cold voice.

Sam turned to face the vampires as they fanned out to surround him. "Hello Kate…I'm sorry that two of your friends will no longer be joining you…but I kind of killed them!"

Kate looked around, but couldn't sense any other danger as she advanced on the defiant young man. She almost admired him…it would be a shame when the time came to kill him. "Now why did you have to do that Sam…after I showed you such a good time…by the way, your little friend Sheila can't wait to see you again!"

Sam's face paled, but he continued to try to distract the vampires. "You bitch…what have you done with her…where is Stephen?"

"Sheila is now where she belongs…she has joined us. She and Stephen went into town to pack her things…no sense in alarming the police with her disappearance. But she'll be back in plenty of time for dinner!" Kate actually licked her lips in anticipation.

Sam shuddered as he remembered the last time, in the barn. He just needed to get her a little closer. "You couldn't break me then and you won't break me now…badder things than you have tried and failed!"

Kate actually growled as she advanced towards Sam. The other three had almost completed the circle. Sam felt himself falling to his knees, his spurt of energy quickly fading. He saw Kate smile as she closed in for the kill.

Suddenly the sound of arrows filled the night as the three vampires behind Sam quickly fell to their knees with arrows sticking out of their chests. Kate dropped to the ground as soon as she saw them coming. Jumping up quickly, she ran towards Sam, grabbing him before anyone could react…she pulled him in front of her as a shield. "Come out whoever you are, or I'll snap his neck!"

Sam could feel her tightening her grip around his throat. He tried to pry her arm from his throat, but she was too strong. He watched as Dean and his father both came out of the woods, but rather than dropping their weapons, they advanced on the three vampires and quickly decapitated them.

Sam felt Kate's grip loosen as she stared in disbelief at what had happened. He knew this would be his best chance, he grabbed the knife that was attached to his belt and using his body weight, dropped from her grasp. As she reached down to grab him once more, he buried the knife into her heart up to the hilt. He watched as she stepped back for a moment. "Sam…you know that won't do you any good!"

"True…but there should be just enough dead man's blood in you to at least slow you down!" Sam used the last of his strength to kick Kate in the chest, sending her backwards and away form him. He could see his father and Dean running towards him, just before the world went dark, he saw his father remove Kate's head from her shoulders. He almost shuddered at the pure hatred he saw in his father's eyes and was glad that he was not on the receiving end of his father's fury.

Dean ran directly to Sam, catching him as he fell the rest of the way to the ground. "Way to go little brother…you got her!" He wasn't sure if Sam had heard him, but he had never been more proud of his brother than right now. He had stood his ground and faced the bastards that had humiliated and tortured him. He just hoped that it would help him when the nightmares came.

"Dean…how is he?" John asked as he cleaned his machete and placed it back in the sheath. He scanned the woods to make sure that no other threat was visible.

"I'm not sure…I need to get him someplace where I can check his wounds again…I think he may have torn the stitches again in the wound on his shoulder." Dean shook his head as he saw the blood seeping through the T-Shirt.

John went back into the woods and returned with the travois and their gear. Dean and his father loaded Sam back onto the travois and continued towards the ranch. There was still plenty of night left, but with only two vampires left, they decided to continue.

A short time later, the ranch came into view. Dean waited, while his father checked it out. He didn't like the rosy hue on Sam's pale face. He touched Sam's forehead and frowned…the fever was much higher than it had been before. "Damn it Sammy…you just had to hurt yourself again!"

John returned a few moments later. "The ranch is clean…let's get Sam into the house. It will be warmer there and you can take a look at his wounds while I go and get the truck."

Dean nodded and followed his father to the house. He and his father both carried Sam into the house and placed him gently on the couch in the living room. Dean quickly built up the fire in the fire place while his father brought in his weapons. "Here…keep a close watch…the other two are still out there somewhere…I should be back shortly…have him ready to go!"

"Yes Sir" was all Dean replied as began searching his back pack for the first aid kit. He would take care of his little brother and protect him…after all that was his job!

TBC

Raven524: See begging does work…just kidding. Thanks again to all those who are sending reviews. It does brighten my day! Unfortunately, I don't think the boys are done yet…but then who knows…I could just let them rest for awhile…they need it! (LOL)


	14. Chapter 14 Hidden Enemy

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 14 – Hidden Enemy**

Sam groaned as he felt a cool cloth being pressed on his forehead. He was so cold and his shoulder felt like it was on fire. He opened his eyes and was relieved to see Dean sitting in from of him. "Heh…Dean…did we win?" Sam whispered, his throat dry from the fever burning in him.

"We didn't just win dude…we kicked some serious vampire ass!" Dean pulled out a bottle of water and helped Sam drink. He had already cleaned the wound, but it would probably require a visit to the hospital. He didn't like the way it was looking and he didn't like the fever he felt burning in his brother's body. He was probably going to need stronger antibiotics than what they had available.

Sam smiled at Dean's cocky attitude. Leave it to Dean to be upbeat after everything they had been through. "Where?" Sam tried again, almost too tired to care.

"We are at the ranch house…don't worry, Dad checked it out and the place is clean. He just went to get the truck and then you're on your way to the hospital" Dean had placed his jacket over Sam, trying to keep him warm. He pulled the jacket tighter as he saw his younger brother shiver.

"No hospital…hate" Sam coughed, causing him to moan in pain as he moved his shoulder.

"Sammy…I know, but that shoulder has to be looked at. I promise, as soon as they get you cleaned up, we'll get you back into a comfy hotel room bed."

Sam started to close his eyes when he had to ask one more question. "Sheila…did you find her?"

Dean sighed, he knew Sam was worried about the girl. "No Sam, there was no sign of her or Stephen. But I'll tell you what, after we get you fixed up at the hospital. Dad and I will stop by her place and see if we can find anything out. Don't worry…we'll find her and do what needs to be done."

Sam shook his head "No…I promised…I have to…I have…" Sam lost his battle and fell unconscious once more.

Dean wrung the cloth out and once again wiped the sweat from Sam's face. "Don't you worry little brother…I'll keep your promise for you…I'm just as much to blame as you, maybe a little more."

It seemed like it took forever, but they finally got Sam to the hospital. By the time they reached town, Sam's temperature was dangerously high. He kept mumbling during the ride to the hospital…reliving his torment over and over. They gave the receptionist the story that Sam had gotten lost hiking in the mountains…they weren't sure what kind of animal attacked him, but they had found him in this condition, wandering in the woods.

John sat in the waiting room. His anger at what happened to Sam intensified by the long ride into town. He looked over at Dean who was pretending to count the ceiling tiles. He knew that Dean also had to be feeling the same anger, but like his father, he had learned to hide his feelings down deep. "Dean…about Sam…he's going to be all right…he's strong, he'll find a way to pull through this."

Dean looked over at his father, realizing that he was probably talking to himself as much as he was to Dean. "I know Dad, it's just…why does it always have to be him? I mean, where in the cosmos does it say that every evil thing out there has to use him for target practice. Sometimes, I just want to lock him away somewhere safe…_but where is that Dad_? I mean for crying out loud…he goes out on his first date in months and what happens…he gets grabbed by vampires. I can't keep my eyes on him all the time anymore Dad…I know I'm failing him…but I just can't keep him safe!" Dean looked away from his father, ashamed that he had let his father see the strong emotions boiling under the surface.

John stood up and walked over to his oldest son. He realized part of Dean's sense of failure was due in large part to his insistence that he keep Sam safe all these years. Placing his hand on Dean's shoulder, he spoke softly to his son. "Dean…look…you and I are just going to have to face facts…while we all need to watch each other's backs…we can't always be there. I know I haven't said this to you before…and maybe I should have…but, I'm proud of you son, the way you take care of this family…don't ever think that I don't appreciate what you have and will continue to do to keep Sam safe. Just remember, to keep yourself safe too…I don't want to lose either one of my boys!"

The sound of rubber shoes on tile interrupted them as Sam's doctor came into the room. John stood up and shook the doctor's hand. "So how is my son?"

"Actually, he's in stable condition right now. He is dehydrated and the wound on his shoulder was pretty badly infected. His fever is back down to 102.3 so he's heading in the right direction there. We have given him fluids and some strong antibiotics. We'd like to keep him for at least 24 hours or until the fever is gone. His shoulder will be sore for awhile and movement will be difficult, but with physical therapy, I think he'll have full range of motion again soon."

"When can we see him?" John asked, letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding.

"They just sent him up to his room, give them about 10 minutes and then you can go on up."

John thanked the doctor and started towards the elevator, Dean close on his heels. They waited outside the door while the nurses got Sam situated in the bed. "You can go in now, but keep it short…he's going to need plenty of rest." The nurse said as she left the room.

Dean went up to the bed and looked at his younger brother. His face was still flushed, but at least there was more color in it. Sam groaned and opened his eyes. "Dean?"

"Hey there little brother…so I'd ask how you are feeling, but the doctor just told us…so I'll save you the effort of lying to me; saying your fine and want out of here!" Dean grinned as he saw Sam blink.

"Ah…actually, I was just going to ask for a drink of water….heh Dad, heard you bagged the bad guys for me…thanks!" Sam smiled at his father, amazed that he was still here.

"Well son, it was your plan…I just followed through. Now I want you to rest while Dean and I go check out Sheila's apartment. The doctor says you need to stay here until tomorrow morning…we'll be back later this afternoon and let you know what we found out." John hated hospitals almost as much as his boys and never spent much time in them. "Dean, I'll meet you in the truck in about 15 minutes."

Dean laughed as his father left the room. "I'm surprised he lasted two minutes…that must be a record!" He smoothed the blankets around Sam, happy to finally have Sam some place safe…at least for the moment.

"Dean…I…uhmmm…well…thanks!" Sam said softly, his eyes already beginning to close. The drugs they had given him combined with the fever were making it almost impossible for him to stay awake.

"For what?" Dean asked softly.

Sam struggled to stay awake for a few more seconds. "Just thanks…you're always looking out for my sorry ass…be careful ok?"

"Sure little brother…careful is my middle name! Ok, so maybe it's not…" Dean laughed as he saw Sam roll his eyes. "You just get some sleep, by the time you wake up we'll be back!"

"M'kay" was all Sam muttered as his eyes closed once again.

Dean watched his brother's gentle breathing for a few moments, satisfied that no nightmares were starting to plague his brother, he patted him on the shoulder. "Sweet Dreams Sammy!"

**ooooooooo**

In an abandoned warehouse a few miles away, Stephen paced the floor. He and Sheila had returned to the ranch and saw the Winchester's leaving. They found the rest of the pack a short distance away, all of them killed. The smart thing to do would be to take off and hide, but Stephen still owed Sam Winchester…even though Sheila was now a vampire, she refused to return his affections. She had remained cold and indifferent to his advances.

Stephen blamed Sam for her attitude. If he hadn't tried to steal her away from him, she would have come to him willingly. He looked at where Sheila was sleeping. She had to follow his orders…she had no choice. But he wanted her to come to him willingly…not because he ordered her to.

Picking up the phone, Stephen called the hospital…pretending he was a concerned relative, he found out that Sam would be kept there until tomorrow. Good…that would give him time to come up with a plan and this time, he would not fail…he would see Sam Winchester dead.

TBC

Raven524: Wow…so many wonderful reviews. I'm glad everyone is liking the story so far. I appreciate all of you who are taking the time to submit your reviews…just keep them coming!


	15. Chapter 15 Hospital Nightmares

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 15 – Hospital Nightmares**

Dean and his father had checked out Sheila's apartment and weren't surprised to find out that it had been cleaned out. Dean checked with the landlord, who told him Sheila had notified him that she was going to move back to Oklahoma to be near her relatives. Since neither of the men had eaten a decent mealor slept since going after Sam, they both decided to grab lunch and try to get a couple of hours of sleep.

Dean hung up the phone in the hotel room and stretched out on the bed. "He's still sleeping Dad…the nurse said she didn't expect him to wake up until later this afternoon."

John was laying on the other bed, more than ready to get some sleep. "Good, let's get some shut eye…I set the alarm for 2:00…that should give us a couple of hours. While you go check on Sammy…I'm going to go back out to the ranch and tie up loose ends…it won't do to have those bodies found."

"Dad…do you think Stephen and Sheila will be there?" Dean yawned.

"No…by now they have probably figured out what happened…my guess is that they will be on the run. But just in case, you and Sam need to watch your backs. Now get some sleep Dean" John ordered as he closed his eyes.

**ooooooooo**

Sam tossed in the hospital bed, trapped in his own nightmares. At some level he knew that he was safe and that he was just dreaming, but he couldn't stop the images from his torment in the barn from replaying in his head. The tears flowed from his eyes as he felt himself struggling, trying not to respond to Kate and the shame that followed. He felt again the bites as they ravaged his skin, stealing his life's force from him slowly.

Opening his feverish eyes, Sam searched the room for the one person who could stop the nightmare. "Dean….Dean…where are you?" Sam croaked. But his brother was not there. For a moment, Sam began to panic, but then the white walls and antiseptic smell of the hospital registered in his fevered brain. He remembered Dean saying he would be back. He tried to close his eyes again…too tired to think, he slipped back into the darkness of his nightmares once again.

A short time later, Sam felt someone in the room with him. He opened his eyes and groaned as the pain in his body hit him full force again. He jumped as he heard an unfamiliar voice calling his name.

"Sam…Sam…can you hear me? My name is Lisa and I will be your nurse today. Can you open your eyes for me?" Lisa reached over and gently took Sam's hand in her own, checking his pulse and writing the results down on her chart. Next she took his blood pressure.

"Hi…could I please have some water?" Sam croaked, he felt like he was on fire, burning from within.

"Sure hon…but first, I need to get your temperature…can you hold this in your mouth for me?" She placed the thermometer in his mouth and turned to pour him a glass of water. A few moments later she removed the thermometer, noting the temperature on the chart and then helped Sam take a drink.

"Ok Sam…now I need to check your wounds to make sure that we have the infection under control, just relax and let me do all the work." She smiled as she used the washcloth she had brought with to wipe the young man's face.

Sam tried to relax, but he could feel his muscles twitching as she touched him. A sudden feeling of revulsion surged through him, making him shudder. As the nurse reached over and started to pull up the hospital gown, Sam went into full panic. "No…don't touch me…please…don't!" Sam couldn't breath…the more he struggled, the harder it became.

The nurse pushed the call button next to her as she tried to keep Sam from hurting himself. "Please Sam…I'm just trying to help!" As the orderlies and doctor rushed in to help, Sam felt like he was being smothered…suddenly he was back in the barn being held down…helpless. He had to fight…he had to get out of here! The harder he struggled, the harder he was held down. Sam let out a strangled scream…"Dean!"

Suddenly the hospital door burst open as Dean plunged into the room. He watched in awe as his brother threw an orderly across the room. "What the hell…Sam!" Dean rushed over to take the orderly's place. Sam's face was bathed in sweat, his breath coming in short gasps and his eyes looking wildly around the room.

"Sammy…I'm here…calm down, you're going to hurt yourself!" Dean motioned for the others to step back from his brother as he reached over and touched Sam's cheek. "Come on Sam, it's me, just calm down…that's it…deep breath's ok…good" Dean watched as the fight went out of his brother. The doctor injected something into Sam's IV which seemed to be making his brother drowsy. As he watched Sam's eyes close, he took his own deep breath and turned to the others in the room.

"What happened?" He asked calmly.

The pretty nurse replied "I don't know, he seemed fine when I took his vitals, but when I tried to lift his gown to check his wounds, he had a panic attack…I'm sorry…I know his fever is a little high, but I thought he was more aware…" She stopped and looked at the sleeping young man with pity filled eyes.

"Don't worry…he's had bad nightmares since he was a kid…in his fevered state, he probably thought you were part of some nightmare." Dean shook his head…he knew he should have been here when Sam woke up, he should have know after the incident in the cave that Sam would be sensitive to others touching him…especially strangers.

"Well Mr. West, we've given him a sedative that should help him sleep. I'll check his wounds to make sure that he didn't pull any stitches and then we'll just let him rest." The doctor walked over and after examining Sam's wounds, pulled the covers back up to cover the young man.

"Well…will he still be able to leave tomorrow morning?" Dean asked, worried that a prolonged stay in the hospital would do more damage than good.

"I don't see why not…the fever will probably break some time this evening…he's still a little high, but it's not increasing. The wounds are looking much better too. We'll keep him sedated through the night, just to make sure he gets plenty of rest."

Dean nodded as the doctor and nurse left the room. Looking back over at his younger brother, he sighed. He had hoped that his brother would be able to deal with what had happened. He should have known better.

A few minutes later his father walked into the room. "What's going on?" he asked as he saw the worried look on his oldest son's face. "He isn't getting worse is he?"

"No Dad…he will be released tomorrow morning…he just had a panic attack…the nurse tried to check his wounds and he freaked out…I should have been here!" Dean sighed as he ran a trembling hand through his hair.

"Dean…son…he'll be fine, it's just going to take time for him to heal."

"But Dad…what if I can't help him…what if this time, it was too much for him to handle…God, I don't know if _I can deal_ with what happened to him…I can't even say the word, much less deal with it."

"Dean…this is no different than any other kind of attack on your brother…you've handled his wounds since he was a baby…_it was an attack_ and the only one to blame for it is now gone. You can handle it and so can Sam…I know you both will find a way together." John looked at his oldest son, hoping his words were getting through.

"Ok Dad…I know…it's just hard. When are you going to the ranch?" Dean decided to change the subject to safer ground…twice in less than 24 hours he had allowed his father to see his emotions…that was more than enough.

"I'm heading out there right now. I'll meet you at the hotel later tonight after visitation hours…and don't think about staying here all night. Your brother is going to need you alert when he gets out of here tomorrow…that means you need to eat and get some sleep yourself. Remember what I said, you need to take care of yourself too."

"Yes Sir" Dean said to his father's back as he left the room. But Dean knew he wouldn't be leaving tonight…he had to make sure that he was here in case Sam woke up. Sitting beside the bed, Dean took Sam's hand and rubbed it gently. "I'm here little brother…you just relax, nothing bad's going to happen to you as long as I'm here."

TBC

Raven524: A little transition chapter…sorry no action, but don't worry…the boys aren't out of the woods yet!


	16. Chapter 16 Snatched

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 16 – Snatched**

The next time Sam woke up, he felt a pressure on his arm. Slowly opening his eyes, he smiled as he saw the head of his brother laying forward on the bed. Trying not to wake his brother, Sam tried to carefully pull his arm free. Unfortunately, his shoulder protested the movement and a small groan escaped his lips.

"Wha…Sam…you're awake!" Dean stretched and grimaced as his neck muscles complained from the unnatural position he had slept in.

"Sorry Dean…I was trying not to wake you."

"No problem bro'…nice to see you looking a little better! The doctor says you can go home tomorrow morning, but only if you're a good boy…but don't worry, I'm sure they'll let you out anyway." Dean smirked. He turned as Sam's nurse entered the room.

"Hello Sam…I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Lisa…I need to check your vitals and then we are going to be bringing in some dinner for you…are you hungry?" The nurse quickly checked Sam's vitals and smiled.

"Your fever is almost gone…I'm going to remove your IV and then we'll see about getting you some dinner!"

"Thanks" Sam said, as he looked at the nurse…something was tugging at his memory, but he couldn't quite remember.

Dean watched closely and was glad that Sam didn't have any more reactions to the nurse. He saw his brother flinch slightly when the nurse removed the IV, but otherwise, he seemed fine. "Mr. West, visiting hours will be over in an hour…I'll wait until then before giving your brother his shot." She turned and left the room before Dean could reply.

"Shot…what shot?" Sam asked looking at his brother for answers.

"Ummm…well, you kind of freaked out earlier when the pretty nurse tried to change your bandages…they are keeping you sedated so that you don't pull out your stitches." Dean knew Sam wouldn't be pleased, but he would feel better if Sam had something to help him get a good nights sleep.

"Dean…I don't need a shot…I'm fine…can't we get out of here now?" Sam pleaded. He hated hospitals, but for some reason, he felt the need to get out of here now.

"Sam, no…you need to get another shot of antibiotics and have your bandages changed. Another night of rest will do you good. Besides, I'll be here to watch your back…don't worry!"

Sam shrugged, he knew he wasn't going to win the argument. Sitting up, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and started to stand. He would have fallen if Dean hadn't been there to catch him. "Whoa…where do you think you're going?" Dean asked.

"To the little boy's room…do you want to join me?" The fluids they had pumped into Sam had finally hit him.

"No…but let me help you get there…no sense in taking a chance that you'll break open your stitches…unless you want to stay longer?" Dean laughed as Sam allowed him to help him to the bathroom. A few moments later, Dean helped him back into the bed.

Dean watched as Sam dug into his dinner. _Well at least the kid's appetite hadn't been affected_, he thought as he watched the food disappear. As Sam finished, they heard the announcement that visiting hours were over. Dean didn't miss the anxious glance he received from Sam as the nurse entered the room.

"Ok Sam, I'm going to give you two shots, the first will help you sleep and the second will help with the infection in your shoulder." Sam looked at Dean, the panic building as Lisa gently rolled Sam over onto his side.

"Here, let me help you with that" Dean said to the nurse as he gently pulled the covers down and exposed Sam's hip for the shots. He could feel his brother's muscles tense under his hand. Rolling Sam back over and pulling up the covers, he patted him on the shoulder. "See, that wasn't too bad was it?"

Sam grabbed his brother's hand and held tight. "Please Dean…please don't leave me here alone" Sam hated the weakness he heard in his voice, but he just couldn't face the nightmares that waited for him unless he knew his brother was close by.

Dean looked at the nurse before he responded. "Don't worry Sam…I'm not going anywhere…you just relax and get some sleep."

Linda smiled as she saw the young man relax under his brother's gaze. "Ok Dean, you can stay…I'll make sure they know at the desk. As soon as he's asleep, I'll need to come back and change his bandages one more time."

Dean watched as Sam slowly surrendered to the drug. He hoped his brother would avoid the nightmares that he knew always lurked in Sam's subconscious. Stretching his tired muscles, he heard his stomach growl…letting him know that he hadn't eaten since lunch.

Linda came back in with an orderly to change Sam's bandages. "Mr. West, this is going to take a few minutes…why don't you go to the cafeteria and grab a bite to eat. I'm sure you're brother won't wake up for quite awhile. The shot we gave him should keep him asleep for a couple of hours."

"Thanks Linda…I think I'll do that. I'll be back in 20 minutes." Linda smiled and started to change the bandages. A few moments later, she removed her gloves and nodded at the orderly. "That should do it for now…could you clean this up for me while I go check on the next patient…I'm running a little behind today." Linda asked as she hurried from the room.

"Sure thing…I'll be glad to help!" The orderly's smile changed to a sneer as the nurse left the room. "I'll help you Sammy boy…right into the grave!"

Acting quickly, Stephen went out into the hallway and grabbed a wheelchair. He placed Sam in the chair, covering him with a blanket to hide him from prying eyes as he wheeled him from the room. A few moments later, he grabbed Sam and dumped him into the back of the van. He looked at Sheila's haunted eyes before climbing in to the other side. "Look whose come to visit baby!" Stephen laughed as he drove off into the night.

**ooooooooo**

Dean finished eating the dry sandwich, washing it down with a bottle of water…he looked at his watch and decided he'd given them enough time to get Sam's bandages changed. A few moments later he entered Sam's room…but instead of his brother laying in bed sleeping, he found an empty bed.

Running out into the hallway, Dean searched for Linda. He spotted her exiting a room further down the hallway. "Linda…hey…what happened to Sam?"

Linda stopped and looked at Dean "What do you mean…he was sleeping when I left him not 10 minutes ago."

Both of them turned as they heard a low moan coming from the closet beside them. Dean cautiously opened the door to reveal a young man lying unconscious on the floor. Linda quickly entered and started to help the young man as Dean ran for the front of the hospital.

Dean frantically searched for any sign of his brother…but the parking lot was empty. "Shit…not again!" Dean pulled out his cell phone as he ran for his car. "Dad…you need to get back here…Stephen has Sam!"

TBC

Raven524: Ok…so I gave Sam a little break…Thanks again for all the reviews!


	17. Chapter 17 Stephen's Revenge

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 17 – Stephen's Revenge**

"_Dad…you need to get back here…Stephen has Sam!"_

John heard the panic in Dean's voice as he listened to the message on his cell phone. Damn it…he shouldn't have left them. Dialing Dean's phone number, he waited impatiently for his son to pick up the phone.

"Dad?"

"Yeah son…where are you now?"

"I'm heading back to the motel room…I'm thinking they are staying somewhere close by. I have a listing of vacant properties…we can start there!"

"Ok…I'm about and hour and half away from you…don't go after them until I get there Dean…I mean it!" John growled into the phone as he hung up. Pressing on the accelerator, he decided to make it in less time, just to be safe.

**ooooooooo**

Stephen pulled the van up next to the old warehouse. Getting out he looked around and smiled. There was no one around. He reached into the van one more time and grabbed Sam, slinging him over his shoulder. He smiled when he heard the groan of pain coming from the young hunter.

Sheila followed them silently into the warehouse, closing the door quietly behind her. She didn't want to be here…but she couldn't resist. She had to do what Stephen told her to do, for some reason he was able to control her will. Looking at the unconscious form of Sam, she sighed. He had promised to kill her…now it looked like she would be trapped forever in this nightmare.

Stephen carried Sam over to a large metal table. He quickly secured Sam to the table and turned to Sheila. "Don't worry love…in a short while you will have your first feast…believe me, once you start you'll feel so good. Soon you'll be free to accept me as your mate...once we have gotten rid of your former boyfriend!"

"Stephen…I told you, I just met him. Why can't you accept that it is _you_ I don't like…I will never accept you the way you want me to…never!" She turned her cold eyes on Stephen.

"Enough…first we need to wake up sleeping beauty here…then the fun can begin!"

**oooooooo**

Dean had hurried back to the motel and was going over the various properties from the listings he had obtained the other day. Shaking his head in frustration, he tried to calm himself down. He had to figure out a way to narrow the list down…there were so many vacant properties. It could take him days to search each one…even with his father's help. Somehow, he knew that Sam's time would be running out before then.

An hour later, Dean had broken the list into two sections. As soon as his father got here, they would each take a list and start the search. They would work out from the hospital in a widening circle, searching each place until they found his brother.

Dean jumped when he heard the door open…he had forgotten that he had given his father a key. "Have you heard anything yet?" John asked as he strode into the room like a man on a mission.

"No Sir…nothing. I only left him for a moment…just a moment!" Dean looked at his father, just like he had all those years ago when the Shtriga attacked Sam.

John sighed "Look Dean…you can't be there every minute of every day…bad things are going to happen…they happen to everyone…just more often to us because of who we are and what we do…now rather than dwelling on what happened…let's see what we can do about it. I for one am not ready to let that bastard kill my son!"

Dean blinked "To quote our favorite pain the ass…_'who is this man and what did he do with my father?'_…Jeeze Dad…no more chick flick moments ok…I think I've had my quota!"

John laughed and for a moment the two men were sent back to a time when catching a baseball in the back yard was the biggest problem that faced them.

"Ok Dad…I have a list for each of us…we should get started checking each of them out. Sammy has to be in one of them!"

"Great job Dean…but remember, if either one of us finds Sammy, we call the other to let 'em know where he is before going in…agreed?" John gave Dean a stern look, knowing his head strong son would go in no matter what.

"Agreed Dad…let's just go!" Without further words, the two men went out into the night to do what they did best…hunt!.

**ooooooooo**

Sam's eyes snapped open as he felt the ice cold water hit his body. Sputtering, he blinked trying to clear his vision. His mind was still groggy from the drug. He tried to use his hand to wipe the water from his eyes, but found he couldn't move his arms or legs. "Come on Sammy…open those big brown eyes…daddy wants to play!"

Sam knew that voice…the voice from his nightmare. "Stephen" Sam croaked out through dry lips.

"You got it…now Sheila here still thinks you're a hero…so I'm going to show her what kind of man she tried to replace me with!"

Sam groaned, how in the hell had he ended up here. The last thing he remembered was getting a shot in the hospital. Shaking his head, he tried to get his eyes to focus. He could see that he was in some kind of warehouse. He was strapped to a table, once again only in his briefs. For God's sake…what did these vampires have against clothes! Sam's body started to shiver from the cold air…man after this, Sam was only going to work in the South during the winter months…he was tired of being cold.

Sam felt a soft hand touch his shoulder. Looking up he saw Sheila standing beside him. "Sheila, help me…please…I'm so sorry…I thought you had gotten away" Sam watched as a single tear fell down her face.

"Sam…just remember your promise to me…if you get the chance…remember you promised!"

"Sheila, just untie me, I will help you!" Sam struggled, but the ropes holding him were too tight. He could feel them cutting into his wrists and ankles.

"I can't Sam…I have to do whatever Stephen commands me to do…I'm so sorry!" Sheila backed away from Sam, giving Stephen a hard stare. She squared her shoulders and decided to make one last plea to the man she thought she had loved.

"Stephen…let Sam go…let him go and I will be yours forever!" Sheila tried to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"Sure…and as soon as my back is turned, you'll go to him…or you'll help him destroy me…sorry Sheila…it's not going to happen…now watch as I make your boyfriend beg!"

Sam closed his eyes as Stephen approached him…somehow he knew that he was going to be in for another rough night.

TBC


	18. Chapter 18 Hunting for Sam

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 18 – Hunting for Sam**

Dean got back into the Impala, slamming his fist on the steering wheel in frustration. He had already checked out the first 3 locations on his list with no success. He still had over 15 places to check…he knew it was the only way, but he wished he could speed up the process. God only knew what that monster was doing to his Sammy.

Pulling out his cell phone, he sent a quick text message letting his father know that he had come up empty. He saw a similar message from his father. He was sure that his father was just as frustrated as Dean.

Slamming the car into gear, Dean sped off to check the next location…praying that it would be the one. _"Hold on Sammy…we're coming!"_

**oooooooo**

Sam flinched as he felt Stephen run his hand down his body. "Hey Sheila, did you know that your boyfriend here made out with Kate? Bet you liked what Kate did to you didn't you…I saw how you responded…why don't you show Sheila how fickle you can be…I bet you'd respond to her too just the same way wouldn't you!"

Sam tried to stop the panic from building…he tried to move away from Stephen as he continued to move his hands over Sam's body, pinching the previous bites to make them bleed. "Sheila…come on over here…give our little Sammy a kiss!"

Sam watched as Sheila walked over towards him. The look in her eyes vacant, the woman from before completely under Stephen's control. Sam tried to turn his head, but Sheila grab his hair and began kissing him. Once again, Sam felt himself gag, his breath now coming in short gasps as he felt his body once again betray him.

"See that Sheila…he can't control himself…I bet he'd react that way no matter who or what came on to him! Enough Sheila…come back over here!" Stephen walked over to a table and poured a liquid into a glass.

"Leave her alone you bastard!" Sam gasped as he tried to catch his breath. The pain in his body was increasing along with the shivers from the cold.

"You don't tell me what to do here…now that you killed Kate…I'm in charge!" Stephen glared at Sam as he walked over to him and grabbed his head, forced the foul tasting liquid down his throat. Sam gagged and coughed as the liquid burned into his stomach.

"What…what did you give to me!" Sam demanded, panting as he could feel the pain increasing in his stomach. It felt like someone had forced him to eat broken glass. He coughed again and tasted the copper taste of blood in the back of his throat.

"Nothing much…just some herbs to make you feel a little uncomfortable…don't worry Sammy, they won't kill you and they won't get into your blood…we wouldn't want to ruin dinner now would we?" Stephen smiled as he reached down and licked the blood oozing from the bite on Sam's shoulder.

Sam was determined not to cry out…he didn't want to give the bastard the satisfaction. But as the pain intensified, he couldn't help himself…he screamed. He wanted to curl into a ball, but his body was tied down, making the cramps worse. Sam closed his eyes for a moment, willing himself to black out…anything to stop the pain.

He felt more cold water hit his body, jerking him back to consciousness. "Sorry Sammy, but we don't have much time and there is still so much to do before you die!"

**ooooooooo**

John crept up to the empty house, being careful that no one saw him. This was the 5th location on his list. Pulling out his lock picks, he quickly entered the old house and closed the door. Using his flashlight, he began searching the house. After 20 minutes, he exited the house and headed for the garage out back. Once again, he entered and exited without finding any sign of his youngest son.

Going back to his truck, he pulled out his cell phone. He saw a test message from Dean…_7 done…no Sam_. He sighed as he entered a similar message for Dean. Putting his truck in gear, he headed for the next location. He knew that sooner or later they would find Sam…the question that burned in his mind was _"Would it be too late?"_ John shook his head…he and his boys had been up against worse than this…he had to believe that Sam would be ok…there was no other option for him.

**ooooooooo**

Sam once again sputtered as he tried to clear the water from his eyes. He glared at his tormentor. "If you were a man, you wouldn't need to do this to get your girl…oh yeah…that's right…you're no longer a man…you're a vampire!" Sam winced as he felt a savage blow delivered to his head. So much for the swelling going down on his eye, he could feel it swelling shut once again.

"I don't have to prove anything to you little man…by the time tonight is through, you'll be begging me to end your sorry excuse for a life!" Stephen once again walked over to the table he had just out of Sam's vision. Sam winced as he saw Stephen approach him with a small knife.

"Too bad they did such a nice sewing job on your shoulder here…I'm afraid I'm going to have to mess it up a bit…let's get rid of those nasty stitches shall we?" Stephen slit the first stitch and watched as Sam squirmed on the table. By the time Stephen had removed all the stitches, Sam was moaning in pain, sweat pouring from his body. He was barely conscious, but the pain in his body kept increasing. "Please…stop…no more…make it stop!" Sam cried, the pain finally getting to him as tears ran down his face. Sam had never felt pain like this in his life. His stomach felt like it was being torn from his body while the other bite marks throbbed.

"See Sheila…see the man you thought could take my place! Watch now as he screams!" Stephen sank his teeth into Sam's side and began to feed. Sam couldn't stop himself anymore, his world was now nothing but blinding pain…he screamed.

Each time Sam started to lose consciousness, he was brought back to awareness by an ice water bath. Stephen continued to abuse his body until Sam thought he might lose his mind, but he refused to give him the satisfaction of begging for death. Sam tried to distance himself by watching for the sunrise in the windows overhead.

"Don't bother watching for the sunrise Sammy…you won't be seeing it." Stephen snarled. Looking over at Sheila, he saw that the blood on Sam was beginning to get to her. Stephen pulled her over to stand in front of Sam. "See baby…it's no different than eating any other animal…you can do it…just take a taste."

Sam watched the conflicting emotions on the young woman's face. She leaned close to Sam, breathing in the scent of his blood. She looked into Sam's eyes with tears running down her face. "I'm sorry Sam…I'm so sorry…I can't stop…please forgive me!"

Sam closed his eyes as he felt her gently tasting the blood running from the wounds on his chest. He almost gagged as he looked up and saw his blood dripping from her lips. "It's ok Sheila…I understand" Sam's voice was barely a whisper.

"Do it now Sheila…you know you want it…you need it…you can't refuse it any longer…give in to the blood lust and feed!" Stephen smiled at the horror he saw in Sam's face.

"Please…don't…don't make her do this…if you love her please." Sam begged not for himself, but for the girl that had once been. Sheila took a final look at Sam, her tears now falling freely…she bent down and took her first bite. Sam's body shook from the strain…once again he heard himself screaming as both vampires lowered their heads and began to feed.

TBC

Raven524: I know, it's evil of me…but I just had to end it here…I'll try to update as soon as I can…reviews always help!


	19. Chapter 19 Promises

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 19 – Promises**

Dean drove slowly up towards the old warehouse. As he drove closer, he noticed a van parked next to a steel doorway. Dean remembered that Sam had mentioned something about being taken in a van…this could be the place. Dean parked the Impala and pulled out his cell phone. He had a feeling that this was the place…he needed to alert his father just in case.

Dialing his father's number, he quickly left the address of the old warehouse, letting his father know that he was going in. Grabbing his pack and the cross bow from the trunk, he headed towards the building. He peered into the van, satisfied that there was no one inside, he continued towards the steel doorway. As he worked on the lock…he paused as he heard a scream from inside the warehouse…_Sammy!_

Dean carefully opened the door and slipped inside. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He could hear soft moaning near the center of the vast warehouse. Moving silently, he followed the sound, hoping he would get there before it was too late. He cringed as he heard the distressed voice of his brother, pleading for them to stop whatever they were doing to him.

As Dean rounded the corner of a stack of crates, he stopped unable to accept what his eyes were seeing. He saw Sammy strapped to a metal table, and two vampires biting into his flesh. Without thinking he pulled the cross bow out and took aim at the closest vampire. The arrow flew through the air and hit the vampire in the back, causing it to scream in agony before falling to the ground. The other vampire quickly ran off behind some crates, cursing as it went.

Dean hurried towards his brother and couldn't stop the tears from falling. Sam was bleeding from many wounds, both old and new on his chest, arms and legs. His brother's eye was almost completely swollen shut. "Shhh…Sammy…it's ok…I'm here…you're safe little brother…it's all over!" Dean reached over and quickly cut the ropes that bound his brother to the table. Sam immediately rolled into a ball, holding his stomach. Tears were falling from his face as he continued to mumble. "Please stop…please…I can't take it…just make it stop!"

Dean kept an eye out for the other vampire as he reached over to gently grab Sammy's face. Looking into his brothers eyes, he tried to get Sam's attention. "Sammy…Sam…can you hear me?" At first, Dean thought that his brother wasn't going to respond. But suddenly, he felt his brother look at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"Dean…Oh God…tell me it's you!" Sam was afraid to believe that his big brother was standing in front of him.

"In the flesh, Sam…can you sit up for me?" Dean helped his brother sit on the edge of the table. Removing his own jacket he placed it on Sam's shoulders.

"Dean…Stephen…where is he?" Sam looked fearfully into the darkness.

"I'm not sure, but I need to get you out of here first…Dad is on his way…don't worry, we'll get the bastard!"

"No…No…Dean, listen…you have to find him now…don't let him get away. I'll be fine, just leave me a weapon." Sam could barely keep his head up and only had vision in the one eye, but he was determined that this would end tonight.

Dean saw the determination in his brother's face. He sighed as he handed Sam the Machete from his pack. "Ok Sam…do you think you can handle this? It's been wiped with dead man's blood…you know what to do if he comes this way…just yell, I won't be far!" Dean paused trying to gauge if Sam had heard him or not.

"Just go Dean or you'll lose him…I'll be fine until Dad gets here…I'm sure he's right behind you!" Sam sighed.

Dean nodded at Sam and took off in the direction of the other vampire. He would deal with the girl when he got back. She was unconscious from the dead man's blood on the arrow. Dean just hoped that Stephen had not gotten away…he wanted to be the one to kill the son of a bitch!

Sam rocked slightly back and forth, trying to get warm. The pain in his stomach was beginning to subside, but the bites all over his body still throbbed. He felt dizzy and light headed, probably from the loss of blood. He looked fearfully around the warehouse, praying that either Dean or his father would get back soon…he almost gave in to the darkness that was threatening to consume him when he heard a slight moan.

Sam slid off the table, grabbing the edge to keep him self upright. He wasn't sure that he could raise the machete but the weight in his hand made him feel less helpless. As he staggered over to the other side of the table, his breath caught in his throat. Sheila lay on her side, an arrow sticking out of her chest. She was unconscious…but Sam knew that as soon as the dead man's blood worked its way through her system, she would wake up and be strong again.

He pulled the arrow from Sheila's body and tossed it off to the side. Sam gently rolled Sheila onto her back, noticing the trace of tears mixed with his blood on her face. Images of their brief time together ran through his mind as he tried to bring himself to do what he knew had to be done. "I'm so sorry Sheila…I never meant for any of this to happen!" Sam raised the machete and completed his promise to the beautiful young woman.

As the machete dropped from his fingers, Sam felt himself breaking. He sank down on his knees beside Sheila…the newest pain too great for him to bear. He waited for the tears to come…but none came…he felt hollow and yet full…full of so much anger and hatred, he thought he would burst into flame.

"Sammy…I'm sorry, but I….Sammy…Sam!" Dean had searched for Stephen, but was not able to find him. He figured the coward had fled rather than face extinction. He headed back to get Sam…once Sam was safe, he would hunt the bastard down and make him suffer! Expecting to see his brother where he left him…he panicked as he saw the empty table.

"Damn it Sammy answer me!" Dean ran over to the table and stopped as he saw his brother sitting on the floor next to Sheila. "Aw…Sam…I told you I would take care of it for you…Sam?" Dean didn't like the vacant stare coming from his brother's eyes. His shoulders were slumped, his hands laying loosely in his lap. Dean moved carefully towards his brother not wanting to scare him.

"Sam…it's me Dean…you're safe, let me help you…will you let me help you?" Dean asked, watching for a reaction from his brother. But Sam just sat, unmoving. "Come on Sam…don't give up on me now…just give me your hand and let me get you out of here." Dean could feel the tears forming, but refused to let them fall. He knew that Sam had suffered through quite a bit, but somehow he always managed to come through. He had to believe that this time would be no different.

"That's ok Sam…you just let me do the work." Dean helped Sam stand and moved him away from Sheila's body. He would come back and take care of her as soon as he got Sam into the car. He didn't want Sam to see him burning the body. "Sit here for a minute Sam, I just want to grab my bag over there and then we'll head for the car."

Dean watched as Sam followed his commands without a sound. Dean missed the sound of his brother's voice…what he wouldn't do to hear one of Sam's wise cracks right now. He placed his jacket once again around his brother's shoulders, trying to keep him as warm as he could. "Just stay right here…I'll be right back!"

Dean hurried to grab the bag that he had dropped when he saw the empty table. Keeping his eye on Sam, he never saw the body hurdling towards him from the top of a stack of crates. As Dean hit the ground unconscious, the vampire turned towards the quiet figure on the table. "You killed her…you bastard…you killed my mate and now you can watch as I kill your brother...and then I will kill you!"

TBC

Raven524: Sorry for the delay…but 4th of July festivities intruded today…here is the next chapter. Once again, thanks for all the wonderful reviews…I will try to answer them as soon as I can!


	20. Chapter 20 Stephen's Last Stand

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 20 – Stephen's Final Stand**

"You killed her…you bastard…you killed my mate and now you can watch as I kill your brother and then I will kill you!"

Stephen reached down and grabbed Dean, pulling him over closer to where Sam sat unmoving. "Did you hear me…I said I'm going to kill him!" Sam didn't blink, he didn't move, he just stared at Stephen with dark, hate filled eyes.

Stephen dropped Dean on the floor and advanced on Sam. "Maybe I should start with you instead…I'm still a little hungr….argh" Stephen cried in alarm as he felt himself thrown against a stack of crates. Jumping up, he once again advanced toward the brothers.

Dean moaned and opened his eyes just in time to see Stephen coming towards him. He rolled over and got to his feet, preparing to place himself between the vampire and Sam. "You bastard…I'm going to kill you!" Dean yelled, searching for a weapon, he saw the machete laying on the ground behind the table. So close and yet so far….Dean blinked as once again the vampire was thrown against the crates, only this time he was held there as if an invisible hand had him by the throat.

Dean ran to get the machete, ducking instinctively as he heard the sound of an arrow flying through the air. He heard Stephen scream as the arrow penetrated his chest, pinning him to the wooden crates. Dean took a quick look at Sam. Sam was still sitting in the same position, only his eyes now stared at Stephen. A thin film of sweat was forming on Sam's forehead and he could see his brother's body shaking as if he was exerting some great force.

"Hold on Sammy…just hold him…I'll finish the job!" Dean ran towards the vampire…satisfied by the fear he saw in the monster's eyes. "You know, this really is too good for you…too quick. If it were up to me, I'd keep poisoning you with dead man's blood, until you begged for release…but unfortunately, I don't have the time!" Dean quickly decapitated the vampire and started to turn towards his brother.

"Sam…it's ok now…you can stop…Sam?" Dean could see the beads of sweat pouring down his brother's pale face. Next he heard the stack of crates in the warehouse beginning to shift. They were swaying dangerously, ready to topple. Dean took off at a run and almost made it…the top crate crashed down on him, knocking him unconscious once more.

As the dust settled, the room was deadly quiet…until the lone figure on the table let out a scream of agony. "Dean…NOOOOOOOO!"

**ooooooooo**

John pulled up next to the Impala and quickly exited the truck. He grabbed his cross bow and machete and ran for the warehouse. He knew that Dean was already inside…he just hoped that his boys were ok. Pulling the door open, he heard Sam's scream.

John ran towards the sound, cross bow ready in case he ran into one of the vampires. He stopped dead as he tried to make sense out of the scene in front of him. The female vampire was laying dead next to a metal table in the center of the warehouse. The male vampire's headless body could be seen sticking out from underneath a large crate. Dean was lying motionless a few feet from Sam…but Sam…Sam sat unmoving, on the table, eyes staring at the destruction before him.

John ran towards Dean, feeling his son's neck, he sighed when he felt a strong pulse. He carefully rolled Dean over, checking him for injuries. He had a gash on his forehead, but it didn't look too bad. "Dean…can you hear me son?" John asked as he gently patted Dean's cheek.

Dean moaned and tried to clear his foggy brain. He heard someone calling his name…but it was hard to open his eyes. "Come on son…open your eyes…we have to get Sammy out of here" Dean's eyes flew open as he heard his father mention his brother's name.

"Dad? Sam…is he ok? Go check on him…please!" Dean tried to control the dizziness that assaulted him as he sat up. He glanced at his brother and immediately was concerned.

John walked quietly over towards his youngest son. "Sammy…it's Dad…Sam?" He reached over and touched the boy on the shoulder, hoping the contact would bring him back to his senses. He could feel the fever burning in his son's body and grimaced at the blood that was still running down his son's chest. "Sam…you need to wake up…it's time to go!" John tried barking an order at his son and was rewarded by Sam turning to look at him.

Sam blinked as if he was seeing his father for the first time. His mouth worked, but no sound was coming out. John got concerned when he saw Sam starting to struggle for breath, holding his chest and gasping for air. "Sam…you need to calm down…breath in…that's good, slow steady breaths…you can do it" John encouraged, using the same tone he had heard Dean use when he talked Sam out of one of his visions.

Sam's body shuddered as a sob broke free "Dad…Oh God…Dad…I killed them…I can't believe…I killed them all!" Sam buried his face into his father's shoulder, grabbing onto him as if he were a life line. John patted Sam's back, murmuring comforting words. "It's ok Sam…you did the right thing…you had to kill the vampires…it was the only way."

Sam backed away from his father, the complete look of desolation in his eyes, shaking his father to the core. "No Dad…I killed Dean…it's all my fault…I couldn't control it…and now, Dean is dead!"

"Ahem…I don't know little brother, I'm feeling kind of alive for a dead person!" Dean stood on shaky legs and staggered over to his brother. He slowed down when he saw Sam start to back away…shaking his head.

"Sam…it really is me…a little banged up, but otherwise I'm fine." Dean reached over carefully, touching Sam's shoulder lightly, letting him feel that his brother was still with him. Sam looked over at Dean, once again no sound was coming from his lips. He blinked a couple of times and with a final shudder, closed his eyes and let the darkness claim him.

John caught his youngest son before he could fall to the floor. Looking over Sam's head at Dean, he saw his torment, mirrored in his oldest son's eyes. "Dean, grab our stuff, I'll get Sam to your car…let's get out of here!" John placed Sam across his shoulders in a fire man's carry and started towards the door. Dean hurried on ahead, opening the door and running to get the back door open on the Impala. He grabbed a couple of blankets from the trunk, laying one down on the back seat so that Sam wouldn't have to lay on the cold leather. He helped his father get Sam into the back seat and covered his brother with the other blanket.

"You stay here with him…I'm going to go back in and clean up. I'll be right back!" John said as he grabbed the gas can from the back of his truck and headed back into the warehouse.

Dean smoothed the blanket around his brother, noting the flushed look on Sam's face. "Hold on Sam…we'll have you back at the hospital in no time!" Dean was started when he felt his brother move, trying to throw off the blanket.

"No…please…no hospital…I'll be good…please…I can't…I can't" Sam drifted off again, but he still tossed on the back seat as if his body was still trying to escape.

"Shhhh…Sammy…no hospital…in fact, as soon as we pack our things, I think we'll just leave this place and move down the road a piece. Don't worry Sam…everything will be ok!" Dean sighed as he saw his brother's body relax. He really hoped it would be ok…he tried not to show his fear, the fear that he wouldn't be strong enough to help his brother. "God Sammy…you have to be ok…you just have to get over this…you're too strong to let them win!"

TBC

Raven524: Ok…so I think we have one more chapter to tie things up and this one is done...once again, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Let me know what you liked or didn't like in this one…I do enjoy hearing what everyone thinks! So R&R!


	21. Chapter 21 Time to Heal

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 21 – Time to Heal**

Dean paused as he quickly packed up their things. Sam was still passed out in the back of the Impala…his father was standing guard…neither one of them willing to let Sam out of their sight for a little while. While his father had been taking care of the vampires, Dean had quickly cleaned Sam's wounds and bandaged them. A few of the wounds would need stitches, but he wanted to wait until he and Sam relocated, He had also taken a few moments to clean up the cut on his forehead and take a couple of aspirin for the headache. He was tempted to bring Sam in here to let him rest before taking the trip, but this place had too many bad memories for both of them.

Grabbing the last of the bags, Dean headed out to the car. He paused as he saw his father gently wiping the sweat from Sam's face. . He pulled the blanket up around Sam's shoulders and whispered something into Sam's ear. Sam didn't respond, in fact, Sam had been unusually quiet up to this point. Dean just hoped that meant that his brother was getting some much needed rest.

"Hey Dad, I'm almost done…I just need to check out and I'll be ready to go!" Dean closed the trunk and started to head for the front office. "Dean wait…do you know where you are going yet?" his father asked quietly.

"No…I just know that I promised Sam I would get him out of here…if possible, I want to avoid the hospital as well…but if he gets worse, I figure I'll just stop in the nearest town." Dean watched the play of emotions on his father's face. He could tell his father was trying to make a decision. "Look Dad, I know you want to get back to hunting the demon. It's ok…I think I can handle Sam…if he gets worse, I'll call you." Dean didn't want his father to go…but he understood that his father needed to leave.

John pulled a shaky hand through his hair, he knew that the right thing to do was to stay with Sam, but now that Sam was using his powers more and more, he was afraid that the demon would resurface. "Dean…I don't want to leave you and Sam, but the more Sam uses his powers..." John sighed and looked off into the distance.

"I know Dad…you need to do your job…finding the bastard, I'll do mine and protect Sam…just remember, you promised to call us when you find the demon…we need to fight him together!" Dean watched as his father reached down to pat Sam's shoulder one last time…trying to reassure himself that his son would be ok if he left him. "Hey Dad, could you just stay with him for another minute…I just want to check out and grab a cup of coffee to go"

John wasn't fooled; he knew that Dean was giving him room to say his goodbyes to Sam. "Sure son…and….Thanks!" He watched as Dean walked away. He was grateful that his oldest son understood…he always seemed to understand his father's and brother's needs without anything being said. But Sammy…well, he always wanted things spelled out. He pushed the hair out of Sam's eyes, letting his hand rest on the mop of dark brown hair for a moment. "Sammy…I don't know if you can hear me…but you need to understand. I'm not leaving because of what happened to you…I'm proud of the way you handled yourself…you have always been strong…I guess you've had to be to carry the weight you do. Dean and I are doing our part and you have to do yours…you have to get through this…don't let those bastards win." John let the tears he had been holding back fall, for just a moment letting his emotions come through. "Good bye Sammy" He bent forward and kissed his son's forehead, just like he used to do when Sam was a baby. Straightening up, he carefully closed the door and leaned against it, waiting for Dean to return.

Dean saw his father leaning against the Impala as he returned with two bags of food and two cups of coffee. He realized as he was filling his order that his father had not eaten either. He silently handed the coffee and bag of food to his father. "Thanks Dean…I know that you can handle this son…but if you need me" John looked at Dean and smiled at the cocky look on his son's face.

"Yeah…I know Dad…I'll call."

John reached over and gave his oldest son a hug and an envelope before heading to his truck. "Here is some extra cash…make sure you find some place nice for you and Sam to rest….make sure you _both_ rest…that's an order!" He watched as Dean got into his car and drove off towards the highway. Sighing, John started his truck and headed back in the opposite direction…it seemed like he was always saying goodbye to his sons…he just hoped that some day, they would all be able to be together again.

Dean watched his father's truck disappear in the rear view mirror. "Well Sammy…it's just you and me again kiddo. You just rest back there…I'm going to get us a nice motel and you and I are going to get some much needed R&R!" Hitting the accelerator, he roared down the highway, playing his favorite music.

Dean drove in silence for 4 hours, glancing back periodically at his sleeping brother. He had yawned as he felt the past few days catching up with him. He knew that it would still be a while before he could sleep. He had seen a sign advertising a resort not too far ahead. He figured it would be a good place for him and Sam to relax. "We're almost there Sammy…then we can get you cleaned up and more comfortable."

A short time later, Dean had registered and was pulling up in front of their lodging. The property had individual cottages. Dean had paid for a month in advance, wanting to give him and Sam plenty of time to recover. He sighed as he entered the cottage…this was the closest thing to a home that they had been in for a long time. Dropping the bags by the front door, he returned to the car to grab Sam. Opening the door carefully, he gently shook his brother's shoulder. "Come on Sammy…we're home…time to wakee wakee!"

Dean smiled as he saw Sam open his eyes, blinking at the bright sunlight coming through the car windows. Sam groaned as he tried to sit up, but didn't say anything. "Ok sunshine…that's it, just scoot over to the edge of the seat…let me do most of the work!" Dean noticed that his usually overly modest brother didn't react to his lack of wardrobe. Dean hadn't wanted to dress Sam until he was able to finish repairing the damage done to him by the vampires. He tried to get a look at Sam's eyes, but his head was leaning forward onto his chest…almost as if it was too heavy for him to support. It was only a short distance to the cottage, so Dean just placed Sam's arm over his shoulder and started pulling him towards the doorway.

Luckily the bedroom wasn't too far...Sam was moving, but didn't appear to be able to support his weight. "Sam…how about a little help here…man you gotta lay off the granola bars!" This time Dean looked into Sam's eyes, hoping to see the usual rolling action that normally followed one of his wise cracks. He frowned when he saw the blank stare instead. "Come on Sammy…you're scaring me here…you need to snap out of it!" Dean gently laid his brother onto the bed and went back out to get the first aid kit.

After cleaning the wounds more thoroughly and stitching up the wounds, Dean wiped his hands on a towel. He decided to try and give Sam a quick sponge bath…he wasn't sure how long it would be before his brother would be able to stand and take a shower. Going over to Sam's bag, Dean removed clean clothes and placed them on the nightstand. Sam had fallen asleep again as soon as his head hit the pillow. Dean was glad, that the sleep seemed to be without nightmares…he just hoped it would last a while longer.

Dean returned a few moments later with a bowl, washcloth and towel. "Now Sam…you know you are really going to owe me for this one…I normally don't do sponge baths…but since you can't get to the bath…I guess the bath will have to come to you!" Dean started by slowly washing Sam's face and neck. Talking quietly as he moved, trying to not startle the young man. He reached over and held Sam up as he washed down his back. Laying him down more gently, he worked on the rest of Sam's body. Sam flinched a few times during the process, but didn't open his eyes or protest. Dean took that as a good sign that Sam wasn't afraid.

"Ok Sam…the hard part is over. Now we just need to get those dirty briefs off and get you into some nice clean clothes. Then you can rest for as long as you want." Dean placed his hand on Sam's shoulder to let him know that he was there. Watching Sam's face, he reached down and began to remove the boxers…luckily this time he anticipated the reaction and jumped back before Sam's fist connected with his jaw…however he didn't anticipate the melt down that Sammy would go through.

Sam rolled from the bed, curling into a ball on the floor…objects started flying through the room while Sam lay on the floor rocking and crying to himself…"NO…please don't touch me…I don't want to be touched, just leave me alone…Dean where are you!"

TBC

Raven524: Ok…so it will be at least one more chapter of Sammy angst…hopefully you won't be getting too bored at this point. If you want me to stop here, just let me know!


	22. Chapter 22 Meltdown

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 22 – Meltdown**

Dean ducked as a lamp flew past his head, falling onto the floor. Realizing that Sam was probably suffering from the fever…he tried once again to get his brother's attention. "Sammy…Sam…look at me Damn it!" Dean crouched down next to Sam, worried about the sweat he saw running down Sam's face. He knew that Sam's powers took a lot of energy from him…right now; Sam didn't have a lot of energy to spare. He had to get Sam calmed down before either one of them were hurt.

When Sam wouldn't respond to Dean's voice or touch, Dean did the only thing he could think of…he slapped Sam across the face. Sam blinked and shook his head. Taking a shaky breath he tried to speak. "Dean?" The word came out as a mere whisper.

"Here Sam…give me your hand and let me help you up off the floor.'' Dean reached over and grabbed Sam's good arm, pulling him to his feet. Sam immediately started to fall and would have if Dean hadn't caught him. Dean helped his brother sit on the edge of the bed.

Sam looked around the room…_how had he gotten here?_ He remembered being at the warehouse, he shuddered as the images began to play in his head. "Dean…ah…where are we?"

"We are in a lovely little resort area…I've booked the cottage for a month, so for the next 30 days, you can call this home sweet home!" Dean started to pick up the objects that had fallen and placed them back where they belonged. Luckily, nothing seemed to be damaged too badly.

Sam watched Dean, a puzzled look on his face. "Do they have earthquakes here?"

"Yeah…about a 1.2 on the Sammy scale I think!" Dean replied, trying to make light of the incident. He wasn't sure he liked this new power of Sam's…it was too unpredictable.

"You mean _I did this_? And in the warehouse?" Sam's eyes started to open in panic and his breathing became shallow. Dean stood and sat next to Sam, placing a hand on his brother's arm. "Yes, and it was awesome dude…you really made that Stephen go splat! Saved both of our asses…you just need to get a little more control over it, that's all."

"But I hurt you Dean…one of these times, I could kill you…Oh God, what a mess!" Sam let his head fall to his chest in defeat. It was bad enough he had this target on his back…but now, his freaky powers could actually hurt his family and friends. What was he going to do?

Dean watched Sam, knowing his kid brother was working himself up again. "Sam…look…I don't know much about these powers of yours…this spoon bending one…well, I'm sure that there must be a way for you to control it. "

Sam shook his head "Dean…I don't even know that I am doing it…_how can I control it?_ Remember when the demon challenged me to use my powers, I tried…I really tried to move the gun, but I couldn't do it." Sam refused to look at his brother…he didn't want to see the sympathy that he knew he would see in Dean's eyes.

"So do something about it." Dean said quietly.

Sam's head snapped up and looked at his brother. "How…it's not like I can go to a class on this subject or check out a book…just how do you suggest I do something about it?" Sam felt his anger mounting…Dean couldn't possibly understand how he felt.

"Look Sam…there wasn't exactly a school out there to teach us how to hunt the things we do…we figure it out as we go, we do research…we talk to people who might be able to help…maybe Missouri would have some ideas…we could give her a call if you like."

Sam looked doubtful "I don't know Dean."

"Sam, we are all given things in life that we may not want to deal with…I certainly didn't want to lose mom, but it happened and I learned to deal with it. You have been give these abilities, yeah sometimes they are a pain in the ass…but more often than not, they have helped us save someone or save ourselves. Why are you afraid to try?" Dean challenged, knowing that this had bothered Sam for some time.

Sam looked at Dean and said softly "Because if I fail…you could be hurt or killed and I couldn't live with that."

Dean shook his head; sometimes his little brother could be so thick. "You know for a college boy, sometimes you aren't very smart…even uncontrolled, your abilities have saved my ass more than once. If you don't try…then we can continue going as we have been, but what if you could control it…if you don't try, you'll never know and maybe next time, we won't be so lucky." Dean stood and walked into the bathroom to return the towels and empty the bowl of water. When he returned, Sam was still sitting in the same position.

"So, are you ready to get some clothes on? Or do you want to continue with the back to nature look?" Dean placed the clean clothes on the bed and stood back, not wanting to panic Sam.

Sam sighed, he realized that Dean was just trying to help him, but he couldn't get past the disgust he felt whenever someone touched him. He tried to stand to take off the dirty, blood stained briefs but almost fell over. After a few more attempts, he gave up and looked at Dean, the agony plainly written on his face.

"Ok then, lets get those off and get you into something clean…then I'm going to help you out into the other room so that I can get some food into you…Missouri will kill me if you lose any more weight!" Dean kept up the meaningless chatter as he quickly got Sam changed into the clean clothes. He made a note to go shopping while they were here to replace the clothes that Sam had lost…most of them were beyond repair and he didn't want Sam to have any reminders of his visit with the vampires.

Sam tried to still the tremors that went through his body as Dean helped him change his clothes. He once again appreciated the way Dean handled the situation…he wasn't sure that he could have managed to allow anyone else help him. "Thanks Dean…um…but before we go into the other room, could you help me over to the bathroom?" Dean smiled and helped Sam over without saying a word. He waited patiently until Sam was done and then helped him into the living room, placing him on a sofa near the fire place.

A short while later, Sam sat back on the sofa, his stomach was full and his body was feeling warm from the fire that Dean had lit in the fireplace. Sam actually smiled as he watched Dean clean up…nothing could stop Dean in full mother hen mode. He moaned slightly when he moved his sore shoulder. His body ached and he was getting tired. "Hey Dean…do you mind…I think I want to go lay down for awhile" Sam hated asking for help, but he know that in his current condition he didn't have much choice.

"Sure Sam…but first, you need to take these pills…they are for the pain and the fever" Dean held up his hand as Sam stated to protest. "Don't even go there _Samuel_…I can see the pain on your face as well as the reddish color on your cheeks. Don't make me do the airplane and hanger trick…I think we are a little beyond that don't you?" Dean said with a wicked gleam in his eye as he held the pills, flying through the air like an airplane coming in for a landing.

Sam rolled his eyes and accepted the pills. "Anything to get you off my case!"

Dean watched as Sam took the pills. He reached over and helped Sam to his feet and once again steered him into the bedroom. After helping Sam into bed, he went into the other room and came back with a sling for Sam's arm. "Here, let me get this on you…it will help to keep you from hurting it further while you're sleeping. The doctor said you had some muscle damage…so, you should probably wear this for a few days until the stitches come out."

Sam didn't argue, he could feel himself falling asleep before Dean finished getting the sling in place. He didn't feel the light touch on his forehead as Dean checked his temperature, satisfied that the fever wasn't too high, Dean switched off the light. "Sweet Dreams Sammy"

TBC

Raven524: Hmmm…I thought I was done with this one, but I guess it needs to go a little further. Thanks for the reviews asking me to continue…my response…on to chapter 23!


	23. Chapter 23 Calm before the Storm

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 23 – Calm before the Storm **

Dean sat by the fire place in the living room, sipping a cold beer. Luckily there was a small convenience store just up the road. After Sam had fallen asleep, Dean made a quick trip to the store to stock up with supplies. For the first time in a long time, Dean allowed himself to relax…somehow he had missed how tired he was getting. For the past few years, he had just gone from one job to the next…he couldn't remember the last time he had just relaxed.

Turning on the TV, he flipped through the channels…there still wasn't much on daytime TV. He let his mind wander as he closed his eyes. He was worried about Sam. So far, he had let Sam direct the conversations, but he had seen the lost look in his brother's eyes when he thought Dean wasn't looking. He knew that Sam hadn't dealt with the abuse he had received at the hand of the vampires and he certainly hadn't dealt with what happened with Sheila. Then of course there were those freaky powers of his. He just hoped that the visions would leave him alone for a while.

At some point, Dean had fallen asleep. He woke suddenly as he heard the sounds from the bedroom…Damn, the nightmares were beginning. Stopping to turn on the lights, Dean walked into the bedroom. Sam had tossed the pillows off the bed and was tangled in the sheets. Dean could see the sweat on Sam's face. Reaching over, Dean gently shook Sam's shoulder. "Come on Sam, wake up…you're having a nightmare bro'…you're safe, just open your eyes!"

Sam jerked up screaming "NOOOO….Stop it! I won't let you…damn it, let me go!" Sam's eyes were not seeing the room before him. In his mind he was back in the barn…being held down by the vampires. He jerked as he felt another hand touch him.

"Sam…it's me…come on, wake up!" Dean tried to keep Sam from hurting himself. He figured that Sam was reliving what had happened…he just needed to get him to focus. "Sam…look at me, I'm right here in front of you!"

Sam heard a voice, a voice he knew he could trust…closing his eyes, he followed the voice, opening his eyes once more he sighed as he saw Dean. "I'm sorry Dean…did I wake you?" Sam looked and saw it was dark outside. He shivered, remembering what the dark could bring. Closing his eyes once more, he tried to get his breathing under control.

"So, you want to talk about it?" Dean asked casually as he picked up the pillows and helped Sam untangle himself from the sheets. He helped Sam sit up on the edge of the bed, waiting for a reply.

"No…not really…could you help me to the bathroom Dean…please?" Sam couldn't meet Dean's gaze. He felt dirty and just wanted to get into the bathroom to wash it away. Dean decided to let it drop for now, helping Sam to the bathroom telling him to yell when he was ready to come out.

Dean straightened out the bed and went back into the kitchen to start dinner. He heard the faucet running in the bathroom and heard Sam's groans. Walking back to the bathroom, he knocked on the door. "Do you need help Sam?" There was no response. Dean cracked opened the door and saw his brother sitting on the edge of the tub, his head in his hands. Dean could see the sling sitting on the sink along with a wet wash cloth. Sizing up the situation, he knelt down beside Sam. "Hey little brother, let me help you get that shirt off…will you let me help you? Dean asked softly.

Sam looked up at Dean, the lost look back in his eyes. "Dean…I just can't…I don't know how.."

"Sammy…lets just take it one step at a time ok…help me get your shirt off…good, see that wasn't too bad…do you want to wash your chest or do you want me to do it?" Dean rinsed the washcloth in the sink and began to wash the sweat from Sam's back. He tried not to notice the tremors that ran through Sam's body each time he touched him. "It will take some time Sam, but I promise…it will get better."

Later that evening, Sam sat once again on the sofa, staring into the flames. He had eaten the dinner that Dean had prepared, but this time he couldn't stop the images as they flowed through him. He knew that Dean wanted him to talk about it…but he couldn't. Even though he knew that Dean had seen what had happened to him…he couldn't bring himself to discuss it.

Dean watched the emotions on Sam's face and sighed. He knew the signs, his brother wasn't ready to talk about it…until he did, Dean knew that the nightmares would continue. "Sam, are you ready to go back to bed yet?" Sam nodded and allowed Dean to help him back into bed. He didn't argue when Dean gave him his pills…Sam was getting used to the numb feeling…he almost liked it…the numbness didn't allow him to feel the pain that was lying just beneath the surface.

Dean walked out into the living room and picked up his cell phone. Dialing the number he waited for Missouri to answer the phone. He might not be able to help Sam with the nightmares, but he could see if there was any way that he could help him deal with his powers. The phone was answered after the third ring…"Well Dean, I've been expecting your call…how is Sam doing?"

Dean shook his head…it amazed him how the woman seemed to know so much. "Not too well actually…do you have a few moments?" Dean smiled as Missouri gave him an earful…after Missouri finished, Dean quickly filled her in on what had been happening for the past few days. He realized she probably knew most of it already, but he appreciated that she let him tell it. In a way, it allowed him to vent his own feelings. "So Missouri…any idea on how I can help Sam with his spoon bending powers? They really seem to have him freaked out…more so than any of his other abilities."

"Unfortunately, I don't know much about telekinetic abilities…but I can give you a few web sites and an email address of a friend of mine who might be able to help Sam deal with it. Dean hon…you gotta be prepared…Sam's emotions are being holed up inside him…sooner or later, the dam has gotta break and you need to be there to keep him from falling apart."

"I know Missouri…but I'm not sure that I'll be able to help him…God, I can't imagine what he's been through…how he has stayed sane so far is beyond me."

"You just be there for him…like always…let your heart guide you Dean…that's all you need and you both will be jus' fine."

Dean smiled as he hung up the phone. Missouri could get on his nerves sometimes, but no one could make him feel better. Dean turned off the lights and headed into the bedroom. He paused to pull the blanket up on Sam, glad to see that his brother seemed to be getting some much needed sleep. He just hoped that the nightmares would stay away for a little while. Shrugging out of his clothes, he got into bed. As he closed his eyes, he thought about what Missouri had said…he would be there for Sam…he just hoped it would be enough.

The days passed pretty much the same way for the next couple of weeks. Sam slept most of the time, but his wounds were almost healed. Dean had kept himself busy working on repairing the Impala. He had borrowed materials from a local garage and worked on hammering out the dent that Sam had put into his baby. He also tinkered with the engine, giving her some much needed attention. By the time he finished, she was purring like a new born kitten.

Dean wiped his hands on a rag and looked up to see Sam dozing in a lawn chair on the front porch. Sam had finally put on some much needed weight and his face wasn't looking so pale these days…but he also didn't talk much. Dean knew that a quiet Sam meant trouble some where down the road. He had tried to get Sam to talk about the nightmares that plagued him each night, but Sam refused. Dean had mentioned the web sites and the contact that Missouri had given him, but Sam just shrugged and walked away. It was almost like Sam had placed himself on auto pilot.

Shaking his head, Dean decided it was time to give Sam a little push. He was getting bored with the same scenery each day…tonight he decided that he and Sam would be going out for dinner and then maybe stop off at the local night spot. He figured he'd have a battle on his hands, but he also knew that Sam needed to start getting back to normal…they couldn't hide here forever.

"Hey sleepy head, it's getting late in the afternoon…how about we get cleaned up and head over to the local diner for some dinner?" Dean watched as Sam's eyes slowly opened, he hated the blank stare that seemed to always be present in his brother's eyes.

"Can't we just grab something here Dean?" Sam yawned and stretched his body. Most of the pain was gone, the only part of him that still hurt was his shoulder, and even that was getting better each day. He saw the frown forming on his brother's face.

"Sam…I need to get out of here…I've been cooking and cleaning for two weeks now and I gotta tell you…it's time for a change when I start thinking about what sauce goes best with the chicken…now unless you want to live with a male Martha Stewart…we need to get out…just for a little while…ok?" Dean hoped he put enough pleading into his tone to get to his brother.

"Martha Stewart….huh…I could live with that!" Sam smiled as he saw the look of horror cover his brother's face. He ducked as Dean reached over and slapped the back of his head.

"Come on…get a move on…there's a steak with my name on it waiting for me!" Dean headed into the cottage to get ready.

Sam stood slowly and looked out over the lake in the distance. He really would have rather stayed here…he felt safe here…sighing, he went to get ready. As he entered the bedroom, a small smile formed on his lips…walking quietly, he opened the bathroom door…he heard the strains of AC/DC's TNT falling from Dean's lips…grinning, he quickly reached for the lever on the toilet and flushed…running from the room as he heard Dean yelling "Argh...Sammmmmy!"

TBC

Raven524: Ending this one on a little lighter note…since those who have sent reviews have asked for more…I've kept it going…next chaper on its way soon!


	24. Chapter 24 Psychic Help

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 24 – Psychic Help **

Dean cut into the steak he had ordered and swallowed with a satisfied grin on his face. He was feeling pretty good. The cold shower of course wasn't welcome…but the giggle he heard afterwards from his brother was a welcome sound to his ears. He watched as Sam pushed the food around on his plate. Sam kept glancing around him, as if he expected to be attacked.

"Relax Sam…there's nothing here to harm you…except maybe me if you don't start eating that food!" Dean knew the first outing would be hard on Sam, he just hoped that it helped his brother get back to normal.

"I'm not really hungry Dean…I just want to go home…I just" Sam trailed off. He knew that his fears were groundless, but he couldn't stop the feeling that he wasn't safe here. He felt fine when they entered the diner, but after dinner was served, he started to get a feeling that he wasn't safe…correct that, that they weren't safe.

Looking around the room again, his eyes landed on an elderly gentleman sitting alone in a booth in the back of the room. As their eyes locked, Sam felt a jolt of recognition hit him. He stood quickly and would have fled if Dean hadn't grabbed his wrist. "Sammy, what is it?" Dean asked, looking around.

Sam just stared as the elderly man walked slowly towards him. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't obey his commands. He jerked as the stranger reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. A small cry escaped from his lips as he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

Dean jumped up and stood between the stranger and his brother. His eyes blazing, he pushed the stranger back, away from Sam. "Who are you and what have you done to him?"

The man stared for another moment and then shook his head as if he couldn't believe what happened. "I'm sorry…I don't know…hmmm…that's never happened to me before…Missouri was right to ask me to come here, this boy does need some help." The man watched as Dean reached down to check on his brother. Sam moaned and opened his eyes, rubbing his head; he sat up and stared at the stranger standing in front of him.

"Sam…I'm sorry, I should have introduced myself sooner. My name is Nathaniel…most people just call me Nate. Missouri contacted me when she found out I was going to be in this area. She said you might need someone to help you understand your…ah…abilities" Nate looked around and saw that they were being watched closely by the other locals in the diner. "Maybe we should continue this discussion outside…care to join me?" Nate didn't wait, but stopped at the cashier to pay his bill and walked calmly out the door.

Dean helped Sam to his feet "Are you ok kiddo?" Sam continued to stare after the man, he still couldn't stop the feeling of unease, but the panic was gone. "I think so…guess we should go see what he wants huh?" Sam asked as he waited for Dean to pay the bill.

Dean took a closer look at Sam "Are you up for this…I could just tell him to come back some other time?" Dean didn't like the fear he saw in Sam's eyes. "I'm fine Dean…really, he just startled me…if Missouri sent him here, she must have had a good reason…you told me that she knew about…about my problem…maybe this guy can help"

Dean shook his head; it wasn't like Missouri to send someone without letting him know. As they exited the diner, they saw Nate standing over by the Impala. Dean once again stood between Nate and his brother as they approached him.

"Sorry about the scene boys, I saw you go in earlier and thought I could grab a bite before I stopped by your cottage. Dean, when I spoke to Missouri…she was suppose to call you and let you know that I was coming…I'll wait if you want to call her now." Nate stood waiting for Dean to make up his mind.

Dean shook his head and staring at the man for another moment, decided he could check with Missouri later. "Hop in back; let's go back to the cottage where we can talk without drawing a crowd"

A few moments later the three men sat out on the front porch. Sam had been quiet, preferring to let Dean do the talking for once. Nate explained that he was a psychic. He had spent his life investigating the various psychic abilities that could be found in individuals, mostly to help himself deal with his particular abilities. "Just exactly what are your abilities?" Dean asked wondering why Sam wasn't asking more questions.

"I can read minds…don't worry…I don't do it unless I'm asked to, much like your friend Missouri…but when I was younger, my ability almost drove me insane." Nate looked off into the distance before looking directly at Sam.

"Sam, I don't know how, but somehow you got past the block that I normally put up to keep people's thoughts out…it has been years since that has happened…for a moment in the diner, I was pulled into your mind…I'm…I'm sorry…but your powers must be strong to do that" Nate looked uncomfortable for a moment. Dean had noticed that Nate had not looked directly at Sam the whole time they had been talking. "So, you can't block Sam?" Dean looked at his brother and saw the shocked look on his brother's face.

"You mean…I caused you to lose your ability to block thoughts?" Sam asked quietly. Both Nate and Dean jumped, a little startled since Sam hadn't said anything so far. "Nate…when did you first find out you had these abilities?" Sam was curious; he knew that until recently he hadn't really recognized his special abilities.

"Well, it was in my early 20's the first time I noticed that thoughts kept entering my head, I believe that up until that time, I probably naturally blocked the thoughts of others…I believe we are born with the abilities, but as with everything else, they grow with time." Nate looked off into the distance as if trying to calm himself.

"So…my abilities, they will continue to grow?" Sam asked cautiously, not sure yet that he could trust this person. He looked at Dean, who didn't seem concerned. Figuring that he was just over cautious after his last adventure with the vampires, he shrugged mentally. If Dean wasn't concerned, then he wasn't going to worry about it either.

"Yes, Sam…unfortunately, only you can learn how to control your abilities…Missouri mentioned that you were concerned about your telekinetic abilities…if you will allow me, I would like to see what happened each time your power presented itself, perhaps I can help you understand what triggers it and then we can work on helping you control it" Nate waited, he didn't want to push Sam.

"Can I turn it off permanently…I mean, can I just learn to block all my abilities so that…so that" Sam shook his head, who was he kidding…he'd never be normal, not with a demon after him.

"No Sam, you can't turn them off, but you might be able to control them a little better. Look, I remember the day that my abilities decided to kick in. I was in a restaurant when all of a sudden, every thought that every person had was suddenly in my head…I couldn't hear because of all the noise in my mind…I couldn't concentrate. I woke up in a hospital, with a psychologist trying to figure out which personality disorder I had. They diagnosed me as being schizophrenic and prescribed medication to make the noises stop."

Sam watched as Nate shuddered at the memories. Nate evidently had had to face one of Sam's greatest fears…the way others would treat him if they ever found out…he shuddered as well, he could understand how Nate must have felt. Sam looked at Dean and smiled, his brother never blinked when Sam showed some new freaky power…if it weren't for him…well he could have easily ended up in the same situation as Nate. "So how did you figure out that you weren't crazy?" Sam asked, curious to find out how Nate had learned to control his powers.

"Missouri found me…she helped me understand, that I wasn't crazy…she helped put me on the path that let me learn how to block the voices and regain my sanity…I would like to help you Sam, if you will let me." Once again Nate waited for Sam to make the decision.

Sam looked at Dean who had been unusually quiet. Dean sat and smiled at Nate before looking at Sam. "Sammy…I think you should let him help you…after all, what could it hurt?"

TBC

Raven524: Well now I'm at a quandary here…I seem to be heading into another chapter…just when I think it's ending, the story calls me on…if you're getting bored, just drop me a line…let me know what you think!


	25. Chapter 25 Control

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 25 – Control **

Sam looked at Dean, shocked that his brother was so willing to let a complete stranger get this close. Normally, Dean would have waited to check the man out. "Ah…Dean, can I have a moment with you inside?"

Once inside, Sam turned to Dean and asked "What's up with you? We don't know this guy from Adam, and you want to let him dig around inside my head?" Sam walked to the fridge to grab a bottle of cold water. He noticed his hands were shaking slightly.

Dean sat on the sofa and looked at Sam. He didn't seem to notice that Sam was getting stressed. "Sammy…Missouri trusts this man…he could have just forced himself into your mind, but he is asking…I think that maybe he can help you man…at least he seems to understand your abilities better than me." Dean looked down at his hands for a moment, frowning…he felt like he was forgetting something…something important. Shaking his head, he looked up at Sam and smiled encouragingly "You really should let him help you…or are you afraid?"

Sam stopped and looked at his brother, feeling anger for the first time. "Afraid…sure I'm afraid Dean, it's my mind he'll be screwing around in and there are things that I…well I just don't want to share with anyone, much less a stranger!" Sam couldn't believe his brother's attitude.

"Look Sam…you want to control your spoon bending powers, Nate can help you do that…what's the problem here? If you want to get your powers under control, do something about it…how long are you going to just sit here and let them control you?" Dean looked at Sam, his own anger starting to show in his eyes.

"Fine…you want me to do this…I'll do it!" Sam stormed from the room. As he entered the porch, the feeling that something wasn't quite right hit him again full force. He stared at Nate who had calmly sat on the step, waiting for an answer. "So what did you decide Sam…do you want my help or should I just move on?" Nate asked calmly.

Sam felt his flesh crawl as Nate turned to look at him…he took a few steps back as he noticed Nate's eyes…they had changed from pale blue to red. "Missouri didn't send you did she?" Sam asked quietly, recognizing the man in front of him for what he was "You're a witch!"

Nate smiled as he advanced towards Sam. "I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out…but don't worry Sam…I'm not here to hurt you…much!" Sam cried out as Nate touched his shoulder sending a jolt of electricity through his body. He felt himself falling; his last thought was of his brother…he had to warn him!

Dean was sitting quietly on the couch, a little unsettled by the last interchange between him and Sam. He couldn't figure out why he had felt it so important to push Sam into doing what Nate requested…in fact, he couldn't figure out why he trusted the man. Standing up suddenly, Dean headed for the front porch. Before he could open the door, he felt himself being thrown across the room as Sam walked in the front door. Dean slumped against the wall, falling unconscious.

"You see what having control can do for you Sam?" Nate smiled as he came in behind the silent young hunter. "I don't have this particular power, but soon you will get your wish…I will take that troublesome power from you…you see Sam, I collect psychic abilities from those I meet. Imagine my luck when I sensed your abilities as I drove through this town."

Sam sat down on the couch, unmoving as his eyes stared blankly into space. Nate moved over to Dean and pulling rope from his coat pocket; he quickly tied the young man up. Then returning to Sam, he did the same. "Sorry about the ropes, but keeping you under my control is taxing…besides, I can feel you fighting…with your power, you probably could block me…too bad you haven't learned how yet!" Nate laughed as he closed the front door.

Sam blinked as he felt the witches control diminishing. He had felt the witch use him to hurt Dean…God, how was it that everything else could control his damn powers except him! He glared at the witch as he walked over to build a fire in the fire place. "What do you want with me?" Sam growled as he began to struggle against the ropes that held him.

"Nothing much…in fact, you should be happy…I just want your telekinetic ability. Of course, once I remove the ability, you may never be the same…some of your predecessors have gone insane when their powers were removed. You see, the abilities that you fight against, that you are afraid to use, are a part of you…they make you who you are." Nate sat down opposite Sam watching the emotions playing across the young man's face. "So here's the deal…you let me take what I want…don't resist me…and I'll let your brother over there live…fight me and he will die!"

Dean groaned and opened his eyes, man his head hurt! He heard the last part of what Nate had told Sam…his brain was foggy, _how could Nate say that, he was a friend?_ Dean tried to get up, but found himself bound. Moving to get more comfortable, he decided to listen to what was going on as he started to work on the ropes.

"What did you do to Dean?" Sam asked, playing for time. He knew that Dean was awake, he just hoped, he could get free in time to stop what was happening.

"I just influenced his thinking…a useful tool that I took from an unfortunate girl…she couldn't live with herself afterwards…I'm afraid she committed suicide, poor thing." Nate smiled as he remembered the feeling of power after he had taken her ability from her. "You have that power as well, did you know that? I bet you find it useful when you are trying to get someone to talk to you…you can put them at ease…well, I just use it in a different way."

Dean swore under his breath…this was all his fault; he had let his guard down and look what happened. "I'm sorry Sammy….I should have double checked his story." Dean said as he glared at Nate.

Sam looked over at Dean and shook his head. "It wasn't your fault Dean…you couldn't help it…no matter what happens, remember none of this was your fault!" Sam said as he read the guilt in his brother's eyes. Damn Nate, they were finally starting to relax and he had to come along…when were they going to get a break!

Nate stood and walked over to sit next to Sam. "This might hurt a little Sam, but I have to take a reading to see how deep your power resides within you…I need to see what releases your ability so that I can access it." Without another word, Nate started to close his eyes and chant in a low tone. Dean watched as sweat broke out on Sam's face following by a short gasp of pain.

"Stop it you bastard…leave him alone!" Dean shouted as he tugged on the ropes…he had to get to his brother before it was too late.

Sam could feel the witch trying to gain access to his mind, remembering from the previous times that the demon had tried to possess him; he tried to block the intrusion. He pushed back with his mind using all his strength. The harder he pushed, the louder the witch chanted. The pain was increasing as the witch tried to force his way into Sam's mind. "Stay out of my mind you bastard…you can't have what you want…I won't let you gain that power!" Sam whispered as he continued to fight.

A few moments later, Nate groaned and fell from the couch. Sam fell back onto the cushions, exhausted, but still whole. He smiled to himself, he wasn't sure how, but he had repelled the witch…he had blocked him by using his mind. He never realized it before, but each encounter taught him something about his abilities. He had just been too stubborn to learn.

Nate looked at Sam and smiled. "I knew you had power kid, but wow…I may have to take more than just your telekinetic abilities…I've just decided I want them all. Once I have your powers Sam, no one will ever be able to stop me from getting what I want."

Nate looked over at Dean and smiled. "I'm sorry my boy, but your brother is being a little stubborn…we need to teach him a lesson!" Nate calmly walked over and stood in front of Dean, extending his hand he yanked Dean to his feet and lifted him effortlessly into the air. Nate continued to chant in a strange language as he walked towards the fire place, Dean floating behind him like a kite on a string.

"Now Sam…you have a choice…let me have what I want or your brother will suffer!" Sam watched in horror as he saw Dean being pushed towards the blazing fire. He heard his brother groan as the heat started to get intense, his body getting slowly closer to the flames.

"Don't you do it Sammy…I don't care what this bastard does to me…don't you dare give him what he wants…he'll kill me anyway…fight him Sammy…you can do it…I know you can!"

Nate's eyes blazed red as he yanked Dean up towards the ceiling and just as suddenly let him drop. Sam heard the sickening crunch of breaking bone as Dean hit the floor. "Stop it! Stop it! You win Nate…just don't hurt him any more!" Sam yelled as he saw his brother's motionless body on the floor. He almost didn't hear the whispered cry that came from his brother's lips "No Sammy…Noooo!"

TBC

Raven524: Ok, I couldn't resist at least one more twist! Hope you all like it…just let me know by sending me a review!


	26. Chapter 26 Practice Session

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 26 – Practice Session **

Nate smiled as he sensed his victory over the young hunter. "Ok Sam, but first I need to rest a little and so do you…I think I'll take one of the beds, you just relax and we'll begin in a few hours." Nate laughed as he checked to make sure that the ropes holding both Sam and Dean were tight. Then turning off the lights, he entered the bedroom.

Sam listened until he heard the regular breathing of the witch coming from the other room. "Dean…Dean are you ok?" Sam whispered, worried that he hadn't heard anything from his brother since his fall.

"Man, now you know why I don't like flying…the air thing is great, but the landings really suck!" Dean said as he groaned. From the pain in his right arm, he figured that it was probably broken. "How about you Sammy…are you ok?" Dean asked trying to see his brother's face in the dark.

"Yeah, I'm fine for now Dean…I just don't know how to stop this guy…any ideas?" Sam asked as he tested the ropes again, hoping that they had loosened up.

"Not a clue…but don't worry Sam, something will present itself…I don't suppose you have figured out your spoon bending power yet?" Dean said hopefully…if the witch had been able to tap into it, maybe Sam could as well.

"I don't know Dean…I was able to block him from gaining entry into my mind…I think that I can keep him out, but I can't protect you…he'll hurt you if I don't let him do what he wants!" Sam said in frustration. He felt the anger over their latest predicament growing inside him.

"Ok Sam, let's think about this…your spoon bending power seems to appear as a last resort defense…do you remember how you felt just before it happened?"

Sam thought back to the times when he had been able to use his telekinetic ability…in each case, he remembered feeling trapped, angry and afraid. It was almost like an adrenaline rush…maybe this ability was his bodies attempt for defending itself? "Dean, I'm not sure, but maybe I've been going about controlling this in the wrong way." Sam thought back to the times he tried visualization and calming himself to access his ability. He had read articles that indicated that some psychic abilities could be controlled through meditation…but what if his telekinesis was controlled by other emotions…stronger emotions.

"Dean, do you remember that Max gained control of his abilities in response to a threat…his anger and fear were driving him, allowing him to control his abilities….I wonder…Dean, I'm going to try something!"

"Hold on there…just remember, brother…broken arm…try to be careful with your aim this time ok?" Dean said as he heard Sam shifting his position on the couch. He smiled as he could almost feel Sam's eyes rolling in his head.

Sam closed his eyes and tried to tap into his emotions. Normally, Sam tried to suppress his anger and fear…after all his father had never encouraged his sons to show these emotions, especially fear. He thought back to his anger over what had been done to him by the vampires; he let the fear and anger grow in him as he replayed the images in his mind. He could feel the sweat on his forehead and felt himself shudder as he reached for the control that he was looking for. As he felt the feeling build in his mind, he felt deeper into his mind, imagining that he was opening a door, he let the feeling out. Tears formed in his eyes as he relived the anguish. As soon as he felt himself filled with anger and fear, he opened his eyes and stared at the kitchen chair. He reached out to grab the chair with his mind and tried to move it…ignoring the pain in the back of his mind, he continued to reach for the chair…concentrating on only the chair.

Dean held his breath, he could almost feel the power in the room…it felt similar to the air in the warehouse before the crates all came crashing down. He scooted a little closer to the wall, hoping that he could avoid any flying objects. He almost yelled when he saw the kitchen chair floating through the air…it paused briefly in front of Sam and then once again lifted into the air, only to be returned to its place by the table. He heard Sam groan and could hear his labored breathing…Sam sounded like he had run a marathon. "Sammy…Sam…are you ok little brother?"

Dean didn't like the silence that followed. He knew that whenever Sam used some of his stronger powers, it took a lot out of him…he just hoped his brother hadn't left himself too weak to resist the witch. "Sam…can you hear me?" Dean tried once again to get his brother's attention.

"Yes, Dean…I'm here…just a little tired…and my head hurts…but otherwise, I think I'm ok" Sam couldn't believe it…he had controlled it! He wasn't sure that he could do it again…but he had controlled it. Feeling better than he had in a while, Sam actually smiled. It was a small step, but at least Sam didn't feel so out of control anymore. Lately he felt like he couldn't control anything in his life…the recent vampire attack had shown him how little control he actually had…but he couldn't think about that now…he had to deal with the witch.

"Ah Dean…I'm not sure, but I think I might have a little more control…but I can't sustain it for long…I mean, I just moved a chair and I feel like I just climbed Mt Everest! So, any idea on how we can use this to get out of this mess?" Sam felt so tired; all he wanted to do was close his eyes and sleep.

"Sam…do you think you could float a knife over this way…I mean, without impaling me?" Dean asked as he struggled to get comfortable…his arm was really starting to ache.

"Mmmmm…not sure Dean…so tired…just need to slee…" Sam dropped off, unable to keep himself awake any longer.

Dean sighed, "Sweet Dreams Sammy"

**ooooooooo**

Sam's eyes snapped open as he felt someone sitting next to him. He shuddered as his eyes saw the red eyes of Nate staring back at him. He still felt tired, but his mind was clear. He could feel Nate trying to enter his mind; the weird chanting had started again. Sam closed his eyes and once again concentrated on keeping Nate from gaining access to his mind. He could hear Nate talking to him.

_"Sam…you need to let me in…you want to let me in…if you let me take your powers, you can be normal again…no onewill hunt you…"_

_"I don't think so you bastard…your stealing days are over…you can't take my powers…you're not strong enough!"_

The chanting got louder and Sam felt Nate pushing harder to gain entrance.

_"Remember your brother…how can you let him suffer for you…if you let me have them, he won't need to protect you anymore…he can be free to follow his own dreams!"_

_"Leave my brother out of this…I won't let you hurt him again…I will destroy you first!"_

_"You can try…but your feeble attempts to block me will eventually fail…I will have your power and I will kill your brother…it may take time…but in the end…I will win!"_

_"You certainly talk a lot for someone who supposedly is all powerful…you have to steal from others to grow your powers, you're not even an honest witch…most witches gain their power through their own abilities…not the abilities of others. You are nothing and I will destroy you!"_

_"Enough of this…give me what I want now or you will watch your brother die!"_

Sam gave a final push in his mind and smiled as he felt the witch leaving him once again.

Dean had remained quiet as he watched the struggle going on between the two men. He had seen Nate approach Sam as soon as the sun began to rise. He thought about shouting a warning, but he didn't want to break Sam's concentration. He watched in concern as he saw the pain on his brother's face…he hoped that Sam would be able to repel the witch one more time.

Dean watched as both men suddenly fell back, apparently exhausted from the battle. "Sammy…Sam are you ok?" Dean called, hoping that his brother could hear him. Dean groaned as once again he tried to break the ropes that held him. His arm was almost unbearable, he could feel the blood trickling down his sleeve…damn, the bone must have punctured through the skin.

Nate rose from the couch and approached Dean. "I'm sorry Dean…I really am, but your brother has made his choice…he chose to save himself instead of you…now you will have to die!"

TBC

Raven524: Thanks again to all the reviewers out there…I'm trying to move this along…let me know if it's going too slow! Just R&R!


	27. Chapter 27 Balance Restored

**Disclaimer:** I _still_ don't own Supernatural or its characters and am not making any money on this…I'm _still_ just having fun!

**Bait**

**Chapter 27 – Balance Restored **

Dean tried to back away from the crazed witch. He heard Sam groan and hoped that his brother would stay unconscious…he didn't want Sam to witness what was going to happen. "You really are a coward…you only attack when your victims are tied and helpless…you're weak and pathetic!" Dean yelled as he felt himself being lifted into the air once more.

Sam opened his eyes and stared in horror as he saw Dean being lifted once more into the air. He could see his brother being turned in the air so that his head was facing the floor. Nate intended to drop Dean on his head…it would kill his brother!

"Are you watching Sam…you are responsible for your brother's condition…I will give you one last chance…give me what I want and I will let your brother go!" Nate yelled as he looked at Sam.

"Don't you do it Sam…I mean it…Don't…Ahhhh.." Dean screamed as he felt himself falling. Suddenly he felt himself stop, just before his head hit the floor, he could actually see the dust bunnies under the couch.

Nate looked at Sam in astonishment "No…this can't be…you can't take control from me, I won't allow it!"

Dean groaned as he felt himself being lifted once more into the air…only to find himself being caught before he hit the ground. "Come on guys…I'm not a human yo yo here…find yourselves another…aw shit!" Dean floated through the air towards the wall, he yelped as his arm hit the wall, causing a shooting pain to run through his body.

"Give in to me Sam…you can't keep this up much longer…I'm stronger than you!" Nate looked into the kitchen. Dean watched in terror as he saw the butcher knife fly at him. "Sammy!" Dean yelled as he closed his eyes…opening them again as he heard the knife hit the wood beside his head. He watched again in horror as 6 steak knives headed in his direction…"Aw come on!" Dean yelled once again, flinching as he saw the knives hit the wall…one coming perilously close to the family jewels. "A little close there Sam...stop playing around!" Dean said through clenched teeth as he felt himself floating through the air again.

"Enough!" Sam cried. The pain in his head was almost unbearable; he could feel blood leaking from his nose. He allowed all the anger and pain that he had felt since he left college fill him, overflowing…he looked at Dean and gently placed him on the chair opposite him. He imagined the ropes holding him and Dean falling away. He then stood on unsteady legs and faced the witch…his own hate filled gaze causing the witch to back away in fear.

Sam knew the only way to get rid of the witch was to burn it…thinking about the fire place, he saw the fire rising in his mind and could feel the heat behind him. "Now Sam…don't be too hasty here…we can work something out…just calm down!" Nate pleaded as he saw the flames leaping from the fire place.

Before Nate could react, he felt himself being thrown across the room towards the fire place…there was a loud whooshing sound and Nate dissolved as the flames caught him in their deadly embrace.

Dean watched in awe as his younger brother finished the witch. He wasn't sure if he should break Sam's concentration, but he was concerned by what he saw. Sweat poured down Sam's pale face, mixing with the blood from his nose. He could see the pain in Sam's face and the tremors that ran throughout his body. Dean knew he had to do something before Sam injured himself.

Getting up from the chair, Dean staggered over to Sam. Placing a hand on Sam's shoulder, he felt his brother shiver. "Sammy…Sam…it's over…you can let go now…breathe for me…that's it, breathe in, breathe out…you've got it Sam!" Dean watched as Sam's eyes began to focus once more. "Dean?" Sam whispered as he fell back onto the couch, exhausted.

"Yeah bro'…I'm here, kind of…how are you doing?" Dean watched his brother trying to focus his weary gaze on his brother.

"Just tired Dean…God, I'm just so tired!" Sam almost fell asleep, but he heard Dean groan. Opening his eyes wider he sat up and took a closer look at his older brother. "Dean, your arm…let me see that!" Sam walked over and carefully picked up Dean's arm. He could see the bone sticking out just below the elbow. Luckily the bleeding wasn't too bad, but this would mean a hospital visit. "Come on big brother…time to get you to the hospital!" Sam smiled as he heard his brother reply "Great…and I just got the last ding out of her…you put one mark on her Sam and I mean it…this time, you will walk!"

**ooooooooo**

A week later, Sam came out onto the porch with a beer for his brother. Dean had refused to stay in the house another minute. Looking at the cast on his arm in disgust, Dean reached for the beer. "I can't believe that I have to keep this on for 6 weeks…and the itching…it's driving me nuts!" Dean complained. Sam just smiled as he went back in to get another beer for his brother. Maybe if he drank enough of them, he would forget about the itching.

Dean sat back in the chair and waited for Sam to return. While his brother appeared to be almost back to normal…Dean knew that he was still not totally healed. Being able to control this spoon bending powers, had given Sam some sense of control, but Dean knew that until he dealt with the rest, his brother was still a powder keg ready to blow.

He still had to get up each night to calm Sam down after the nightmares began…they were not getting less frequent, in fact, they seemed to be escalating. He knew that Sam was trying to suppress his feelings and Dean really wasn't in the mood for a chick flick moment, but he knew that until Sam talked about it…the nightmares would just keep getting worse.

Sam walked out on the porch and handed Dean another beer. "So, Sam, since it looks like we are going to be here for another month…how about we go down and check out the night life…maybe pick up a girl or two…I mean…we can actually go out with them more than once!" Dean smiled, thinking about the fun he could have, assuming the right opportunity presented itself.

"Go ahead Dean…I…I just don't want to hook up right now ok?" Sam shuddered at the thought of getting that close to someone…he didn't know if he would ever be able to handle it.

"Sam…you know that what happened, that what Kate did…had nothing to do with what you wanted…no one holds you responsible for her sick actions" Dean decided it was time to give Sam a little push.

"Dean, just leave it be ok…I don't want to talk about it. I'm going to go in and check out those web sites that Missouri gave you…I think I'll use the time to do more research on my abilities…maybe I can find something to help me gain more control over them…you go ahead and have a good time" Sam didn't wait for Dean to answer as he entered the cottage.

Walking over to the kitchen table, he opened up the laptop and started to log on to the internet. As he was waiting for the connection, he noticed that there was still a CD in the disc drive. He decided to see what was on the disc while he waited. Pushing play, Sam froze as he saw the images playing across the screen. He never heard Dean enter the cottage or take his shower. He stared at the screen, unable to move, unable to stop watching his torment…feeling every moment as if he was still there…still in the barn.

Dean finished getting dressed and decided that he would try to get Sam to join him one more time. It took him longer than usual as he had to contend with the cast on his arm. But then, maybe the cast could work in his favor…chicks digged wounds…he just needed to come up with a cool story. Walking out into the great room, he noticed the deadly silence in the room. He looked over towards Sam and immediately all thoughts of his evening out fled.

Sam's face was pale, his eyes staring blankly at the screen. Dean walked over to see what was on the computer. As he stood behind Sam, he froze as he saw the vampires feeding on his little brother. "Aw shit Sam…I'm so sorry…in all the confusion, I forgot to take it out…I meant to destroy it!" He quickly reached over and shut down the computer. He ejected the disc from the drive and going over to the fireplace, tossed it into the flames.

Sam hadn't moved, he just stared…he could feel the shame and disgust building in him…the pain of the bites as the vampires fed…Sam tried to retreat back into the safe shell he had built around himself during the past month…but he couldn't find it. He jerked as he felt strong arms grabbing him around the shoulders…crying in fear, he toppled from the chair and backed into the corner of the room. Sam began to rock, holding himself in a tight ball…willing himself to disappear.

"Sammy…come on little brother…it's me…you can let it out…I know it was bad…I saw it…I wish I could have stopped it, but I couldn't…please Sam…don't shut me out…I can't help you if you keep shutting me out!" Dean felt the tears begin to flow as he knelt in front of his brother, afraid to touch him, but afraid not to…he could feel Sam slipping away from him. Deciding that he needed the contact, Dean reached over and grabbed Sam, pulling him into his arms.

Sam fought, but Dean wouldn't let him go, he just held on, speaking soothing words of comfort. Suddenly Sam stopped and lifting his head, looked into Dean's eyes. Dean couldn't believe the shame and fear that he saw in their depths. "Sam…you know that you have nothing to be ashamed of…what they did to you…you did nothing to ask for it and you certainly didn't deserve it…you and Sheila were both victims. But you don't have to let them win Sam…just let it go…I'll be here to catch you!"

Dean listened, holding his breath as he felt the first sob torn from his brother's throat. He could feel Sam struggling to keep the poison in…but finally, the dam broke and the agony was released. Dean held on fast, knowing that Sam was near the breaking point. "That's it Sam, let it all out…I'm here…I'll always be here for you."

Dean held Sam until he felt the sobs cease and the tremors in his brother's body stop. Leaning back, he reached for Sam's face and lifted it so that he could see his brother's eyes. He sighed in relief when he saw the sorrow there…no blank stare, just sorrow. His brother was finally healing…Dean knew that it would be awhile before Sam was whole, but at least the process had begun.

Helping his younger brother up from the floor, Dean looked at his shirt and couldn't help himself "Damn Sam, now you've done it…you wrinkled my best T-Shirt…now I have to go change…how do you expect me to attract the chicks in a wrinkled T-Shirt!"

Sam smiled as Dean continued his tirade…his feeling were still raw…the wound still open, but he did feel better…as long as he had Dean, he would always find his way back….home.

The End

Raven524: I think 27 chapters is enough…hopefully you all liked how it ended! Just let me know by dropping me a line! Till next time…see ya!


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